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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24609553">Two Nude Girls Just Doing Yoga</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NickelModelTales/pseuds/NickelModelTales'>NickelModelTales</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ballet, College, F/F, Female Friendship, Hypnotism, Nudity, Porn with Feelings, Yoga</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:01:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,786</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24609553</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NickelModelTales/pseuds/NickelModelTales</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Great Recession of 2008 hits, and two desperate girlfriends must find a way to pay their bills.  When they hit on the idea of doing nude yoga on the Internet for artistic expression, will hypnotism help them shed their clothes for the camera?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Always Try New Things</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <em>Oberlin College, Fall 2002</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>“Let’s do something crazy,” Melanie said suddenly.</p><p>Robin stared at her friend.  The two college freshmen were standing outside Tappen Square, watching the stream of anti-war protesters parade through Memorial Arch.  The United States was barreling towards war with Iraq.  The terrorist attacks of 9/11 were just a month prior.  Elsewhere, a lunatic was mailing anthrax to unsuspecting victims.  And in Washington DC, a sniper was shooting at innocent people in the streets.  <strong><em>The entire world</em></strong> seemed crazy.</p><p>“Something crazy?” Robin said warily.  “…like what?”</p><p>“I dunno,” relied Melanie, tossing her wavy blonde hair in that carefree manner of hers.  “Something nutsy.  Something silly.  Something no-one would expect.  <em>Always try new things</em>,” she said, reminding Robin of her personal motto.</p><p>“Jesus, Mel,” Robin shook her head.  Her own short, brown hair bobbed in the light breeze.  “The entire <strong><em>fucking world</em></strong> is ending.  We…”  She gestured helplessly.  “I don’t know, we should be… helping!  Or something.”</p><p>Melanie laughed, actually laughed out loud.  “Oh, Rob,” she chided.  “You’re always <strong><em>so serious</em></strong>.”</p><p>“This could be, like, the end of our lives!” Robin fretted, eyeing the protester’s signs.  “Seriously, what if there’s a war and then a nuke goes off, and-“</p><p>“Yep,” Melanie declared.  “I’ve just decided.  C’mon, girl, we’re gonna seek out something batshit crazy.  Just to put a little silly in the world.”</p><p>And without another word, Melanie spun on her heels, heading across campus.  Robin frowned… but followed.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>The two freshmen women had known one another for only a few months.  At Oberlin College, the Dance Department requires all ballet students to arrive on campus two weeks before regular orientation.  The upperclassmen dancers called this the “mini-summer intensive” …which just meant that from the moment dancers arrived at Oberlin, they were rushed into their leotards and then into a dance class.  Rehearsals ran all morning, afternoon, and into the evenings.</p><p>In the crazed bustle of this accelerated schedule, it seemed like every ballet freshman had buddied up right away… everyone except Robin.  All through the first week of rehearsals, Robin had been alone at the barre, alone when the dancers had been asked to pair off, alone even for lunch.  Robin wasn’t even invited to the Friday night bar run.</p><p>In high school, Robin had always been shy.  At Oberlin Ballet, she was a ghost.</p><p>So poor Robin almost jumped out of her skin when, on the second week, a pretty blonde girl flounced over and joined her in stretching out at the barre.</p><p>“Hey, <strong><em>you!</em></strong>” the blonde gushed, flashing a merry smile.  “Is it me, or is it, like, twenty degree below in this studio?”</p><p>“It… it is cold,” admitted Robin, taken aback.</p><p>“Why are rehearsal spaces always freezing?” the blonde prattled on.  “I mean, I guess ‘cause I’m from Arizona, anywhere here in Ohio is cold, right?  But, whew!  I think they make it so chill to get us to move faster.  Anyway, I’m about to turn blue.”</p><p>The blonde was uniquely beautiful.  Her complexion was soft and delicate, with a touch of rose in her cheeks.  Robin envied the girl’s tiny little dimples, one at each corner of her mouth.  It was as if the girl smiled so much, her skin had creased there, just a little.  Blondie was blessed with the biggest hazel eyes, and they sparkled and flashed when she spoke.  Her wavy yellow hair was pulled up in a bun, but enough rebel strands hung down to make her look almost punk in appearance.</p><p>As the blonde girl chatted, she raised her pointed foot, then leaned into a deep hamstring stretch on the barre.  She was obviously the consummate dancer; her arms and legs were skinny but muscular, her torso lean and aerodynamic, and her neck graceful and elegant.  Like all the ballet students, she wore the usual faded pink leotard, tights, and off-white ballet shoes.  But somehow these ordinary garments looked sexy on her.  This chick had flair.</p><p>“Oh, I’m Melanie,” the blonde said, beaming with another one of her trademark smiles.  “Melanie Zwick.”</p><p>“Robin Palentri,” the other young woman found herself replying.</p><p>“Oh, I know who you are,” Melanie said confidently, bowing once again into her stretch.  “You are the chick who danced Cinderella at YoungArts last year.  You took the Beckelmann Trophy.  You were awesome!”</p><p>“But of course,” the blonde woman added with dramatic mock pity, “now you’ll have me to audition against… so no more leading roles for you.”</p><p>There was something in the way that Melanie teased you that made you smile.  Robin couldn’t resist her own grin.  And a counterjab.</p><p>“Mmmm… we’ll see,” she sniffed, then did a much deeper stretch.  Melanie’s hazel eyes opened wide.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>From that day forward, Robin and Melanie were fast friends.  Something between the two women just clicked.  Robin liked Melanie’s motormouth, her enduring cheerfulness, and her scatterbrained nature.  Melanie was forever losing track of things – her class schedule, what time the cafeteria closed, where she’d left her backpack, her dorm room keys – and yet she was always quick to laugh at herself during these mishaps.  She was impulsive to an extreme.</p><p>Robin matched exactly none of these qualities.  She was a worrier, someone who looked at the headlines of the day and always saw doom rapidly approaching.  She could be painfully awkward when meeting new people; she suffered the Nervous Sweats and Tongue-Tied Curse when talking with a cute boy.  She was more tempted by a good novel than a good party.  Ballet was the only thing she enjoyed doing in a group.</p><p>So there was no way Robin and Melanie were twins who had been separated at birth.  Robin followed the news with a frenzied passion; Melanie had no interest in politics or current events.  “Oh, everything always works out, somehow,” she would say airily, ignoring Robin’s flabbergasted stares.  How the two ever became friends was a great mystery.</p><p>Indeed, there were times when Robin herself wondered.  Like <strong><em>now</em></strong>.  Like, when the United States was about to throw itself into a Middle East war, 9/11 had just happened, lunatics were sending anthrax through the mail, and snipers were taking potshots at innocent people in Washington DC!!!  <strong><em>NOW Melanie wanted to do something crazy?!?</em></strong></p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>The two freshmen women wandered across campus.  Not far from the craziness in Tappan Square was Wilder Hall, the Student Union.  A big, makeshift sign screamed, ”<strong><em>2001 STUDENT ACTIVITIES FAIR / COME FIND YOUR PASSION</em></strong>”</p><p>“…seriously?” Robin asked dryly, already seeing where Melanie’s brain was going.</p><p>“C’mon,” huffed Melanie.  “I just want to take a look.”</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>The Activities Fair was in full swing.  Wilder Hall’s main chamber was populated by over three hundred booths, all with student organizations fishing for new recruits.  Armies of freshman and sophomores swarmed about, shopping for extracurriculars.  An Oberlin student band, tragically named “Psycho the Happy Fairy,” were performing their original songs on the far end of the hall; they were absolutely dreadful.</p><p>Melanie didn’t seem to see the same cacophony that made Robin cringe.  “Okay, okay,” the spunky blonde said, tapping her chin with two fingers.  “This could work.  Let’s look for the <strong><em>craziest</em></strong> shit they have here.  Whatever it is, we’re doing it.”</p><p>“Uh… huh,” Robin said, eyeing the Oberlin Belly Dancing Club.  “Yeah, I don’t know-“</p><p>“Wimp,” teased Melanie.  “Let’s go.”</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>Right off the bat, Melanie tried to jump into the Improv Comedy Players’ ranks, but she discovered that she cracked up immediately when the skit started.  And she wasn’t enthusiastic about the African Drumming Squad, nor the Puppeteers, nor the Ice Curling Team.  “Not crazy enough,” she huffed.</p><p>“Maybe the Chess Team?” suggested Robin hopefully.  She was desperately hoping that Melanie’s “<em>Let Do Something Crazy</em>” impulse would flame out.</p><p>“Chess?” scowled her blonde friend.  “In what universe is Chess crazy?  Ugh!  And…  Oh!“</p><p>Suddenly Melanie snatched Robin by the wrist.  “I got it!” she trilled.  “C’mon!”</p><p>Robin was almost yanked off her feet as Melanie grabbed her wrist and then plowed across the crowed floor.  The excited blonde was making a beeline for the booth of the Oberlin Hypnosis Club.</p><p>Alarms sounding in her head, Robin did her best to apply the brakes.  Sitting at the booth was a lone upperclassman, a man probably twenty years old.  Tall and a little portly, the fellow had done what he could to make himself presentable.  This meant he had shaved, combed his long, sandy hair, and put on a shirt, tie, sport coat, and trousers.  None of these four items matched.  The guy wore thick glasses.  He was modestly handsome, although Robin didn’t like his eager expression.</p><p>“Hey there,” Melanie said to the dude the second she and Robin were standing before the booth.  “You, like, actually do hypnotism?”</p><p>“I do,” the guy said smoothly.</p><p>Melanie suppressed an excited giggle.  “Oh my God, can you hypnotize me and my friend here?  Like, right now?”</p><p> “Whoa,” Robin said quickly.  “I’m not sure…”</p><p>“She wants to get hypnotized too,” Melanie assured the hypnotist fellow.  “How long will it take?”</p><p>A small, curious crowd was forming.</p><p>The hypnotist rose from his folding chair, moving to stand before both freshmen.  “Not long,” he assured the women.  “I’m Tripp, by the way.”</p><p>“I’m Melanie,” gushed the blonde.  “This is Robin.”</p><p>“Hey,” Robin said in lieu of greeting.  “Look, I don’t want to be hypnotized, okay?”</p><p>Melanie was actually surprised.  “What?”</p><p>Exasperated, Robin merely folded her arms across her chest and set her jaw.</p><p>“Dork,” sighed Melanie.  “Okay, fine, just me then.”</p><p>“Look into my eyes,” Tripp commanded grandly.  “Feet slightly apart, arms at your sides, shoulders square, please.  Anything in particular you’d like to by hypnotized for?  Better study habits?  Stress relief?”</p><p>“Just make me do something crazy, okay?” Melanie requested, assuming Tripp’s posture.  “Something funny.”</p><p>“Oh, okay,” smiled the hypnotist.  “Great, breathe in and out, and focus only on me…”</p><p>Robin rubbed her forehead.  <strong><em>What the hell was Melanie thinking?</em></strong>  Some freshmen, unaccustomed to the unsupervised freedom of college, went berserk with partying and alcohol.  From Robin’s perspective, Melanie wasn’t behaving any more responsibly.  She was allowing a strange man take control of her mind… and for what?  The opportunity to be humiliated before her peers?  Robin privately seethed.</p><p>Tripp began speaking in a cool, flowing voice, his every sentence blurring into one another.  He gazed intently at Melanie, who was now motionless.  Hypnotist and subject concentrated upon one another, ignoring the rest of the world.  The crowd around them grew thicker.</p><p>Then, Melanie’s face went completely blank.  Her eyelids grew heavy and then closed down.  She seemed unaware of anything, anything at all.  A small gap between her lips opened, revealing the caps of her pure white teeth.  At one point, Tripp lifted Melanie’s arm, and Robin was astounded to see that it was completely limp and lifeless, as if Melanie’s body had simply switched off.</p><p>“<strong><em>Sleep!</em></strong>” cried Tripp, causing the waiting crowd to jump.  He stepped forward, neatly catching Melanie as she tumbled forward into his arms.  She looked completely unconscious.</p><p>“Excellent,” the hypnotist smiled, and now he raised his head so the other students could hear him.  “In a moment, Melanie, I will count to three, and then you will open your eyes.  You will feel relaxed and refreshed, but have no memory of being hypnotized.  And – oh yes – you will totally believe your name is Lady Gaga.  Lady Gaga is your name.  Awaking on the count of three…  one, two, three!”</p><p>He snapped his fingers.</p><p>Immediately, Melanie opened her hazel eyes.  She looked confused, but quickly climbed back onto her own two feet.</p><p>“How do you feel?” Tripp asked smoothly.</p><p>Robin studied her blonde friend.  Had the hypnotism worked?  Melanie looked distracted, but completely in control of herself.</p><p>“Yeah…” Melanie mumbled, passing a hand through her blonde curls.  “Yeah, I feel good.  I… um…  Yeah, good.”</p><p>The hypnotist extended a hand.  “I’m Tripp.  What was your name again…?”</p><p>“Oh, I’m Lady Gaga,” Melanie replied without hesitation.  She shook Tripp’s hand, ignoring the gasps of surprise and delight from the crowd.</p><p>The upperclassman boy knew how to play to his audience.  “Lady… Gaga?” he said.  “That’s an unusual name, isn’t it?”</p><p>Melanie shrugged.  “Its no weirder than Tripp, dude.”  She half-laughed.  “When I was born, my mom just thought ‘Lady Gaga’ had a nice ring to it.”</p><p>“When I snap my fingers, Lady Gaga,” Tripp said, his eyes boring into Melanie’s, “you find that you can only communicate by singing.”  His fingers clicked once, directly before the hypnotized girl’s eyes.</p><p>Melanie blinked, but otherwise did not seem to notice anything.</p><p>Tripp prompted, “So if I were to look at your driver’s license or student ID, it would literally say…?”</p><p>Using a terrible fake-opera voice, Melanie sang, “Why, it would <strong><em>saaaAAAaaay</em></strong> Lady Gaga, of coooooourse!  Because that’s my <strong><em>naaaAAAaaame!</em></strong>”</p><p>The crowd laughed in appreciation, and there was light applause.  Robin, however, burned with humiliation on Melanie’s behalf.  This was <strong><em>exactly</em></strong> what she’d been dreading; the hypnotist was turning her blonde friend into a clown for her peers’ amusement.</p><p>“What’s so fuuu<strong><em>UUU</em></strong>uuunny?” sang Melanie, genuinely perplexed.  The audience laughed more.</p><p>“And… <strong><em>sleep</em></strong>,” commanded Tripp, snapping his fingers before Melanie’s face.  The freshman girl went completely limp, falling back into a deep sleep in his arms.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>Under Tripp’s control, Melanie believed she was a champion sumo wrestler, complete with the sumo poses and bellicose attitude.  She was then mesmerized to become a Sex Education teacher, and earnestly explained to the guffawing crowd how babies were made.  Finally, the upperclassman commanded his subject to think that she was the master hypnotist, and set her loose to mesmerize someone in the audience.  Melanie immediately went to Malcolm Jackson, Oberlin’s star basketball player.</p><p>“You are getting sleepy, Malcolm,” Melanie chanted, waving her fingers before the amused boy’s face.  “You will fall into a trance and obey me completely…!”</p><p>When Malcolm bust out laughing, Melanie looked annoyed.  “I don’t get it,” she complained to the exasperated Robin.  “I’m a master hypnotist, this should be working!”</p><p>“<strong><em>Sleep!</em></strong>” boomed Tripped, snapping his fingers before Melanie’s face.  The pretty blonde collapsed into his arms, completely out.  The crowd, almost a hundred strong, applauded.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>“and… awake!” Tripp intoned.</p><p>Melanie fluttered her eyes open.  She looked around, confused.</p><p>“I don’t get it…” she mumbled.  “I thought I was going to get hyp-“</p><p>Tripp snapped his fingers, directly before Melanie’s face.  She blinked, once.</p><p>Instantly, her memory unlocked.  The blonde freshman, now released from the hypnotist’s spell, could recall everything she’d done while under enchantment… everything.  She blushed a shade of deep red, put her face in her hands, and laughed in embarrassment.</p><p>The crowd laughed with her, then broke out into enthusiastic applause.</p><p>“And that’s hypnosis, everyone!” boomed Tripp.  More applause.</p><p>As the cheering died down, Robin sidled up to Melanie.  “<strong><em>Now</em></strong> are you happy?” the brunette growled.</p><p>“That was so fun,” Melanie chuckled.</p><p>“I want to get out of here,” grumbled Robin.  “<strong><em>Now</em></strong>, please?”</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>For once, the blonde girl allowed herself to be led somewhere.  The moment Robin and Melanie were out of Wilder Hall, Robin almost shouted, “<strong><em>Oh my God!</em></strong>  Why did you let him do that to you???”</p><p>“What?” Melanie asked, genuinely surprised at her friend’s reaction.</p><p>“You idiot,” seethed Robin.  “You just got brainwashed so half the college could laugh at you.  For the rest of the year, you’ll be known as Hypnotized Chick.”</p><p>“Naw, it wasn’t like that,” Melanie said.  “It was a lot of fun.”</p><p>Robin glared at her friend.</p><p>“Seriously,” said Melanie.  “You should totally try it someday.  Always try new things.”</p><p>“You weird me out,” Robin scowled.  And she refused to listen to Melanie’s justifications for the rest of the day.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>The semester ticked on.  Robin and Melanie soon found themselves swamped by classes, research papers, study group schedules, class projects, and reading assignments that seemed endless.  On top of their schoolwork was their ballet responsibilities, which were perhaps even more demanding.  Under Robin’s firm direction, the two women organized their time, and then buckled down to get the work done.</p><p>But even while the academic workload grew heavier and her bond with Melanie grew stronger, Robin still found her thoughts returning to that madcap day when Melanie had gotten hypnotized.  Robin was a political feminist, and remembering her friend as a mesmerized, brainless puppet really gnawed at her sensibilities.  The fact that she’d caught Tripp admiring Melanie’s ass while exercising power over her did not help with Robin’s discomfort.</p><p>If anything, Melanie seemed to have forgotten the entire incident.  True to her scatterbrained nature, the blonde was already looking forward to her next adventure.  So far that year, she’d tried a Capella singing, auditioning for two different plays, enrolling in Tug-of-War-plooza, and hosting the midnight to 2 AM student radio show over three weeks.  Robin had no idea how Melanie found the time.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>By Thanksgiving, Robin was feeling like she’d finally caught the Oberlin Groove.  She was on top of her classwork, her grades were up, and she would be dancing a good part in the spring production of <span class="u">La Bayad</span><span class="u">ère</span>.</p><p>Best of all, there was Jim, a cute boy who actually seemed interested in her.  Robin liked Jim.  She wondered if he was a good kisser…</p><p>The downside of all this good fortune was that Robin was seeing less and less of Melanie.  The two women were so busy, it was hard to find ways to hang out.  Robin finally made an appointment to schedule and grab a quick lunch with her friend, if only to catch up and say “hello.”</p><p>By a miracle, Melanie remembered and kept the appointment.  In fact, she was waiting for Robin at a table in Stevenson Dining Hall.  The blonde was halfway through her salad, with her nose in her Psychology textbook.</p><p>Robin grinned.  It was good to see her friend.  “Hey bitch what up?” she asked, plopping down into a chair.</p><p>“Hey <strong><em>you!</em></strong>” the blonde smiled.  She cocked her head to one side.  “Listen, do you remember what <em>manifestation transference</em> is?”</p><p>“Um, that’s when…” Robin said, accessing her memory, “…when a person’s subconscious manifests their inner desires.  Like in a dream or hallucination or something.  Freudian term.”</p><p>“Oh,” replied Melanie, rereading the passage.  “…’kay.”</p><p>“Listen,” Robin said, getting down to business, “do you have the study guide for the Shakespeare final?  I want to divide up the summaries with you.”</p><p>“Yeah, for sure.”  Melanie unzipped her bag, and began rooting about in her folders.  As usual, the girl was hopelessly disorganized.</p><p>Robin ran off to get a plate of eggplant parm and a diet soda.  When she returned, Melanie was still searching for the study guide.</p><p>“Aw, forget it,” Robin laughed.  “You couldn’t find your ass if you didn’t know it was attached to you.”</p><p>“I swear I had it…” scowled Melanie.  But she gave up the fight.</p><p>Robin was able to pop an oversized chunk of eggplant and cheese into her mouth when she spotted a familiar face all the way across the Dining Hall.  Her eyes narrowed.</p><p>“What?” Melanie asked.</p><p>“Don’t look,” snorted Robin, “but its that Tripp guy over there.  The weirdo who hypnotized you, remember?”</p><p>“No way,” Melanie exclaimed, sitting up and craning her neck.  When she spotted Tripp, she waved merrily.</p><p>To Robin’s chagrin, Tripp waved back.  He then disappeared into the serving queue.</p><p>“Oh, Tripp ‘n me, we’re dating,” Melanie explained casually.  “I forgot to tell you.”</p><p>Suspicious, Robin lowered her fork.</p><p>“What?” Melanie said defensively.  “He’s really funny, and he has a nice, long cock.”</p><p>“Did he…”  Robin narrowed her eyes.  “Has he, you know, <strong><em>hypnotized</em></strong> you again?”</p><p>“Maybe…” smiled Melanie with a playful shrug.  “Not that it’s your business, however.”</p><p>Robin pursed her lips together… but decided to say nothing.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>The following Thursday, it was raining.  Of course, Robin was caught out on campus, and without an umbrella.  She glumly stood outside Terrell Library, debating if she could race all the way back the dorms and keep her notebooks within her backpack dry.</p><p>It was past seven PM.  Jim was on the road for an away basketball game.  Robin had planned to join her dorm friends for a night of junk food and Must See TV, but that had little appeal now.  What to do?</p><p>A promising thought occurred.  The freshman dug through her pockets, unearthing her cellular phone.  She hit the speed dial, then waiting for the other end to pick up.</p><p>“<em>’lo?</em>” Melanie’s voice replied.</p><p>Robin grinned.  It was good to hear her friend’s voice.  “Hey bitch what up?” she said cheerfully.  “What’re you doing?”</p><p>“<em>Hey you!</em>  <em>Just hangin’,</em>” Melanie replied.  Robin could hear her friend’s smile.  “<em>I should be studying for Shakespeare… but fuck it.  You want to come over?</em>”</p><p>Exactly what Robin wanted to hear.  “On my way,” she said, and hung up.</p><p>But the phone rang almost immediately.  Melanie again.</p><p>“<em>I didn’t tell you,</em>” the blonde woman said.  “<em>I’m not at the dorms.</em>  <em>I’m at Tripp’s place.  But I’m sure he won’t care if you come over.</em>”</p><p>Robin’s stomach flopped.  “Wait… what?”</p><p>“<em>Com’on,</em>” coaxed Melanie.  “<em>You ‘n me ain’t hung out in a while, girl.  Get your butt over here.</em>”</p><p>“Can you ask Tripp first?” said Robin, not liking this.</p><p>“<em>It’ll be fine,</em>” Melanie scoffed.  “<em>He’s really cool.  Come on over, please?  Please please please please pleeeeeeease???</em>”</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>Tripp, it turned out, rented a private apartment just off-campus.  Robin dashed through the rain, entering town in record time, and quickly found the hypnotist’s address.  He lived in a one-bedroom on the top of an ancient, three-story building.</p><p><em>Nice</em>, Robin thought with grudging admiration.  She located the apartment buzzer and pressed the button.</p><p>Nothing happened.</p><p>A handwritten sigh was taped to the front door:  <em>Intercom Not Working / Come On In</em>.</p><p>Unimpressed with the superintendent’s dedication, Robin pushed the door open, then began climbing the filthy staircase.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>Tripp’s apartment was the farthest from the stairwell.  Shivering and dripping with rainwater, Robin knocked on the front door.</p><p>There was the sound of someone approaching from within the apartment.  The lock clicked, and then the door swung open.</p><p>Robin stopped and stared.  There, before her, was Melanie.  Her friend was completely naked.</p><p>Being in Oberlin Ballet and having shared dressing rooms, the two young women had seen each other in the buff many times.  But it was arresting to see the all-nude Melanie now.  There was something sexual about how she posed her body; her shoulders were square, her chest thrust out, her tummy sucked in to accentuate her hips.  Those bouncy blonde curls rested about her shoulders in a most disheveled way.</p><p>“Fuck me, Mel!” Robin exclaimed, hurrying inside the apartment and closing the door.  “Were you and Tripp having sex?  Why did you invite me over?”</p><p>“Tripp’s in the bathroom,” beamed Melanie.  “We were just hanging out.”  She giggled.  “He doesn’t know you’re coming over, I wanted to surprise him.”</p><p>“Surprise him?” Robin retorted.  “Why would you do that, if the two of you were having… <strong><em>you know!</em></strong>”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” Melanie asked, her smile fading.</p><p>“Mel, you and Tripp are obviously about to do some serious boning,” sputtered Robin in exasperation.  “Jesus, look at what you’re wearing!”</p><p>Melanie looked down at herself, then smiled again.  “It is really lovely, isn’t it?” she beamed.</p><p>Robin’s brow furrowed.  “What is?”</p><p>“This gown,” Melanie sighed happily, then twirled on her feet.  She raised her arms, as if she was dancing in a performance.</p><p><em>Oh God</em>, thought Robin.  “Mel, just tell me:  What <strong><em>exactly</em></strong> are you wearing right now?”</p><p>“You can’t see it?” the nude Melanie asked.  “I’m in a purple and blue ballgown.  With ribbon sash and diamonds.  I look like Cinderella, don’t I?”</p><p>As she spoke, Melanie moved before the body mirror that hung on the back of the front door.  She struck a series of poses, admiring herself from multiple angles.</p><p>“You’re hypnotized,” Robin said, growing angry.  “You let Tripp hypnotize you, and he…  Ugh!”</p><p>“What?  No,” chided Melanie, still inspecting her imaginary dress.  “We haven’t done any hypnosis yet.  I’d remember if we had.”</p><p>Now that she looked carefully, Robin could see that slightly spacy look in her blonde friend’s eyes.  Melanie’s fogged mind was completely fooled by the illusion Tripp had cast over her.</p><p>Deep within the apartment, a toilet flushed.  There was the sound of water running.</p><p>“You know what?” Robin cried, disgusted.  “You two lovebirds do your sick naked hypnosis thing, I so don’t care.  I’m outtie.”</p><p>“No, Rob, stay, stay,” implored the entranced Melanie.</p><p>But Robin was in no mood to listen.  She pushed her way out the apartment door, and never looked back.  She was surprised by the hurt she felt.</p><p>*** *** ***</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. My Girl Was in Need</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <em>Indianapolis, Fall 2008</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Six Years Later…</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>While pulling into the parking lot of <span class="u">Blue Lotus Yoga</span>, the Chevy groaned.  Somewhere, deep within the engine, there was a THUNK and then a WHEEZE and then a soft, grinding sound.  The entire car started to vibrate.</p><p>Robin swore.  Something expensive was about to break, she could feel it.</p><p>As carefully as she could, the young woman eased the changer into PARK, then yanked the emergency break.  As she did this, she kept a half-ear on the radio:  <em>This is Naomi Walters, Indianapolis Station 47 News.  The Financial Meltdown of 2008 continues to grow more dire as yet another Wall Street bank has failed this morning.  The Dow Jones Industrial Averages plunged another five hundred points as America braces itself for what could be the worst economic disaster in over five decades.  President Bush has called upon-</em></p><p>Angrily, Robin killed the car’s ignition.  She gripped the steering wheel and squeezed her eyes shut, her anxiety almost eating her alive.  The universe, she felt, was determined to as cruel as possible.</p><p>Oh, had it last been <strong><em>a year and a half ago</em></strong> when her life had last felt grounded?  Robin let out a shaky exhale.  Yes, almost eighteen months to the day.  She and Jim had graduated from Oberlin, honeymooned at Disneyworld, then moved to Indianapolis so he could start at UI Law.  The house on Lane St. would have been perfect for raising kids, for when that day came.  Robin really wanted a child.</p><p>But then, the blows started falling.  Just when she was on the verge of signing the lease on her own dance studio, Robin had torn her knee ligaments, right in the middle of the San Diego Ballet Competition.  “I hate t’tell ya,” Shelia, her physical therapist told her, “but an injury like this is lifelong.  You won’t be able to dance again.  I’m so sorry.”</p><p>That was the kindest of Robin’s setbacks.  While clawing her way through physical therapy, Jim suddenly announced that Robin wasn’t his soulmate after all – whoops, sorry about that – but <strong><em>Tiffany</em></strong> (the slutty little skank in Jim’s Contracts and the Law class) was more worthy mate.</p><p>“<em>You want me to be honest?!?</em>” Jim had screamed in the middle of their most savage fight.  “<em>Sex with you is terrible – its </em><strong>ALWAYS </strong><em>been Goddamned terrible!  I swear to Christ, you’re like a fucking corpse in bed.  I need someone who sexually excites me!</em>”</p><p>The Jim-Robin divorce had been brutal but swift.  All the joint property had been in Jim’s name.</p><p>And of course – <strong><em>of course</em></strong> – Robin’s “<em>Why Can’t You Be More Like Your Perfect Sister, Jill???</em>” mother thought the divorce was all Robin’s fault.  “<strong><em>Ugh!</em></strong>” was her first reaction to Robin’s misfortune.  “It figures that <strong><em>you</em></strong> would cause the first divorce in Palentri family history, Robin.  But what am I supposed to tell your aunts and uncles?  Eh?”</p><p>All Robin had in the world was $500 and an Oberlin degree in Psychology.  In desperation, the young woman borrowed some money from her mother, rented a crappy basement studio apartment in the seedy neighborhood of Mars Hill, and set out to find work.</p><p>And what job can an ex-ballerina with bad knees pick up very quickly?  Teaching yoga.</p><p>Robin sighed, glumly opening her eyes and inspecting the <span class="u">Blue Lotus Yoga</span>’s cheerful storefront.  It had taken $2000 to grab a quickie Yoga Instructor Certification, which was another $2000 that Robin didn’t have.  Oh, how her mother had <strong><em>thrown a fit</em></strong> when Robin came crawling back, asking for more money!</p><p>Five minutes until her first class.  Robin wiped the tears from her face, sniffed once, and then grabbed her workout bag and yoga mat.  She hopped out of the car, hoping that the lock on the driver’s side wouldn’t fail yet again.</p><p>All she needed was two years.  Two years of scraping by on a yoga teacher’s salary.  Two years of researching scholarships.  Two years of shopping for the right graduate school program.  If Robin could catch a little good luck for a change, she might be back in school by 2010, and a licensed social worker by 2012.  It could happen.  She just had to hang in there.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>The doors of the <span class="u">Blue Lotus</span> sighed open as Robin pushed her way inside.  The waiting room was empty, with only Chester at the reception desk.  Of the three classrooms, the Green and Orange Rooms were empty; Gretchen was wrapping up the morning class in the Purple Room.</p><p>“Hey,” Chester warned as Robin moved to the locker room.  “Don’t get ready just yet.  Gretchen wants to talk to you.”</p><p>“Why?” asked Robin, caught off-guard.  “Is-“</p><p>“Just wait for her, okay?” Chester instructed, indicating the waiting room’s plastic chairs.  He went back to typing on the computer.</p><p>A foreboding sensation growing in her chest, Robin sat alone.  Chester was doing his best to avoid eye contact with her, and <strong><em>that</em></strong> couldn’t be a good thing.</p><p><em>Oh, God…</em> Robin thought, anxious again.  <em>Gretchen’s cutting back my classes?  Fuck!</em></p><p>Resigned, she forced herself to sit down.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>After what felt like ages, the doors of the Purple Room opened.  A handful of yoga students filed out.  Most offered polite smiles to Robin, who did her best to smile back.</p><p>“Gretch?” Chester yelled out, still not looking away from his monitor.  “Robin’s here.”</p><p>Gretchen, the slender fortysomething owner of <span class="u">Blue Lotus</span>, poked her head into the waiting room.  She saw Robin and actually grimaced.</p><p>“Heeeeeeey Robin,” she said, gliding over and sitting in the chair next to the young woman.  Her voice was tender.  “I, uh, have to talk to you.”</p><p>“You need to cut back my classes?” Robin guessed.</p><p>Gretchen swallowed.  “I have to let you go, dear.”  She gestured to the classrooms.  “You saw it yourself; we only had five students today.  Only five.  I’ve gotten more cancelations then-“</p><p>“You’re <strong><em>firing</em></strong> me?” wailed Robin, distrusting her own ears.</p><p>“I’m so sorry,” Gretchen said quickly.  “I wish things were different.”  She looked down at her bare feet.  “Maybe, if things pick up in six months, I can-“</p><p>“Gretchen,” Robin said desperately, “look, I can’t be unemployed right now.  My car-“</p><p>“I’m sorry,” the older woman murmured.  “I wish I could help.  But…”</p><p>Angry and fighting tears, Robin leapt to her feet.  She stormed out of <span class="u">Blue Lotus</span>, not caring that the glass door banged shut too loudly as she left.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>The one perk to Robin’s ratty apartment was that the computer repair place above her had great Wi-Fi.  Robin had bribed the teenage clerk for the password.  Thankfully her old Apple laptop from college still worked!  Now, the young woman pulled out the computer, logged in, and began searching for a job.  Any job.</p><p>Of course, there were no positions for English majors out there, nor was any other yoga studio looking for instructors.  Robin found herself half-heartedly toying with the idea of working as a janitor or mail carrier… but no, even to get those jobs, you had to apply to get on a <strong><em>waiting list</em></strong>.  Not even McDonalds’ was hiring.</p><p>Depressed, Robin allowed herself to make a major mistake and flipped over to Facebook.  There, stretched across her Facebook feed, were pictures of all of her happy, fun-loving, <strong><em>employed</em></strong> friends.  They laughed from restaurants and amusement parks and raved about celebrities’ love lives and teased one another with cheerful abandon.  All of them were relaxed and sunny.  Not one of them had money troubles.</p><p>The young woman was about to shut down her computer when her eye noticed Facebook’s “People You May Know” sidebar.  There, perhaps three people in, was the picture of a young blonde woman labeled “<em>Melanie Zwick.</em>”  The smile on the woman was gorgeous.</p><p>Robin hesitated.  …Melanie Zwick?  Wow, that name took her back.  She hadn’t seen Melanie since…  When?  Sophomore year?  No, earlier?</p><p>Something had snapped when Robin discovered Melanie was getting hypnotized by Tripp again.  Try as she could, Robin simply couldn’t understand why her friend would willingly put herself into such a vulnerable position!  And what did Tripp do to the entranced Melanie?  Force her to address him as ‘<em>Master?</em>’  Mesmerize her to have unprotected sex?  <strong><em>Was he raping her???</em></strong>  Robin’s imagination reeled.</p><p>And just like that, Robin couldn’t look at Melanie any more.  The careless blonde seemed to be flaunting everything a modern woman should be.  Robin couldn’t take it.  She was curt with Melanie, and no longer looked for opportunities for the two of them to hang out.  Robin’s fury surprised even her.</p><p>And then… catastrophe.  Melanie’s father had died, and suddenly the blonde dancer could no longer afford Oberlin’s tuition.  She left campus after the Christmas break.  The last Robin heard, her former friend transferred to OSU, and… well, that was that.</p><p>Robin studied Melanie’s tiny picture, suddenly feeling nostalgic.  If there was one person in this world who would understand Robin’s situation, it would be Melanie.  Melanie would listen patently to all of Robin’s woes, offer some kind words, then say something like, “<em>Hey, girl,</em> <em>let’s go out, let’s just go, and not care where we end up.  Let’s go!</em>”</p><p>That sounded so nice to Robin right then.</p><p>Feeling a little silly, the young woman clicked Melanie’s profile, then “<strong><em>Send Friend Request.</em></strong>”  In the message window, she typed:  <em>Hey Melanie, wonder how you’ve been, hope things are well.</em></p><p>Robin paused.  <em>No,</em> she thought to herself.</p><p>She deleted her message, then wrote a new one:  <em>Hey bitch what up?</em></p><p>Robin smiled.  Melanie… well, the <strong><em>old</em></strong> Melanie would appreciate their traditional greeting.</p><p>She clicked SEND.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>Within seconds, a message popped into Robin’s Inbox.  The young woman’s heart leapt!  It was from Melanie:</p><p>
  <em>Hey YOU!!!  Wow this is sooooo weird I was just totally thinking about you and sending you good thoughts and you totally friended me LOL so love it.  Where RU?</em>
</p><p>Despite herself, Robin laughed.  Melanie hadn’t changed.  Suddenly, all the grudges and frustrations of the past were washed away.  A sense of relief flooded over Robin.  She smiled as she began to write back.</p><p>But Melanie beat her to the punch.  A second message appeared:  <em>Hey YOU, whats yur #?</em></p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>After college, Melanie had moved to Columbus, taking a wide variety of jobs.  “<em>Oh,</em> <em>I once tried writing up a resume, but it just looked too weird,</em>” she told Robin over the phone.  Melanie’s voice was as musical and carefree as ever.  “<em>Like, last year, I tended bar, I did the makeup for a zombie-themed amusement park, I sold tickets to skydiving lessons, I painted murals downtown, I made Halloween costumes for some rich kids, I worked as a wedding photographer, and I did a hospital clown show for ICU kids.  Oh, and I posed nude for a sketch class.</em>”</p><p>“I… wow!” Robin said, then laughed in delight.  “Jesus, girl, you… <strong><em>posed nude for a sketch class?</em></strong>”</p><p>“<em>Yeah, why not?</em>” replied Melanie, as if the question were rhetorical.  “<em>I still keep in shape, my butt looks good, and each class pays $300.</em>”</p><p>Robin paused.  “…$300?  Really?” she asked.</p><p>“<em>But the real reason to do it,</em>” continued Melanie, “<em>was that I’ve always wondered what it’s like to have a hundred eyes gazing at your entire body.  Turns out, its not a sexual thing at all!  The whole experience is really, really liberating.  You should totally try it someday.  Always try new things.</em>”</p><p>“I…  Jesus Christ!” was all Robin could manage.</p><p>It felt <strong><em>so good</em></strong> to hear Melanie’s cheerful voice.  Robin could almost picture her old friend’s blonde hair bouncing as she laughed.</p><p>“<em>Yeah, enough about my shit,</em>” Melanie said.  “<em>What about you, girl?  I’ve missed your cute ass.</em>”</p><p>“Me?” Robin said, her good mood wilting.  “Oh… I’m…”</p><p>There was a pause.</p><p>“<em>Rob…</em> <em>what’s wrong?</em>” said Melanie, concerned.</p><p>It occurred to Robin that Melanie, sweet, sweet Melanie, was the first kind voice she’d heard in a long, long time.  Not even Robin’s mother had offered a sympatric ear.</p><p>Before she could stop herself, tears were welling up in Robin’s eyes.</p><p>“I got fired, Mel,” she whimpered.  “I got fired and Asshole Jim ran off with a skank named Tiffany and I have no money and my life’s a complete shitpile and I’m so tired of worrying, so tired…”  She sniffed.  “Sorry.”</p><p>“<em>I’m coming over,</em>” announced Melanie.</p><p>Robin blew her nose.  “Whaddya mean, you’re coming over?  You’re in Columbus.  That’s a five hour drive.”</p><p>“<em>Yeah, no sweat.  I’ll be there by dinner.  You know a good Japanese or Thai place?</em>”</p><p>“Mel,” Robin said, touched but dismissive, “seriously, don’t you have work?  I shouldn’t have-“</p><p>“<em>I’m off today,</em>” interrupted Melanie.  “<em>Your neighborhood is called ‘Mars Hill?’  Gotcha.  You’re in my GPS.  See you in five hours, bitch!</em>”</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>Melanie looked even more beautiful than ever.  She was leaner, more muscle-packed, with a slight tan.  Her hazel eyes still sparkled brightly, and her blonde hair now tumbled almost down below her shoulders.  But her smile was as bright as ever.  Robin nearly burst into tears when they hugged.</p><p>“Oh my God,” she blubbered, “you came!  Mel, you came!  You crazy bitch.”</p><p>“Of course I came,” Melanie smiled.  “My girl was in need.  C’mon, I’m famished.  Where’s this Japanese place?”</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>Robin was surprised at how easy it was to reconnect with her old friend.  “I was with Tripp, for, what…? a month,” Melanie recalled.  She grinned.  “He was such a cornball.  We did the hypnosis thing for a while, but I started getting bored with it.”</p><p>The ex-Oberlins were squeezed into a plastic booth at <span class="u">Jade Teriyaki</span>, a knock-off Japanese place where absolutely nothing was authentic.  Even the art on the walls was Chinese.  But Melanie didn’t seem to mind.</p><p>“You and Tripp… you guys did hypnosis in the bedroom?” Robin dared to ask.</p><p>“Sure,” shrugged Melanie.  She sipped her green tea.  “It was fun, actually.  He’d put me under, and when I opened my eyes, I totally thought he had a two-foot cock.  Or he’d snap his fingers, and I’d have a gushing O.  Wild.”  She grinned.  “You should totally try it someday.”</p><p>“Firm no,” Robin said.  “So… what happened?”</p><p>“I dunno, first we were really hot for one another, then we weren’t,” replied Melanie plainly.  “It happens, you know?”  She grinned faintly.  “I just heard from Tripp not too long ago, actually.  He’s a mechanical engineer with GM…?  Ford?  Some car company.  Designs the cupholders in pickup trucks.”</p><p>“Huh,” said Robin, stirring her watered-down miso soup.  “I always figured…”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I dunno, back in Oberlin… that Tripp would do his voodoo on you and then you would go into a trance and be his submissive slave, or something,” Robin said, fidgeting a little.  “That’s why I couldn’t hang with you when I saw you hypnotized in his apartment.  I couldn’t imagine letting a guy do that to me.”</p><p>Melanie snatched a gyoza with her disposable chopsticks.  “I get what you’re saying,” she admitted.  “I wish that back then, you could have talked to me about it, though.”</p><p>“I’m so sorry,” mumbled Robin, dejected.</p><p>Melanie waved the apology away.  “No worries, girl.”  She popped the gyoza into her mouth, gulped it down, then looked thoughtful.  “Just to humor him, I did let Tripp hypnotize me to become his submissive slave girl.  Just once.  Just to try it out.”  She shrugged.  “It wasn’t bad.”</p><p>Robin stared, then shook her head.  “That would be <strong><em>such</em></strong> a dealbreaker for me,” she exclaimed.  “I mean…  Jesus.”</p><p>Arching one eyebrow, Melanie adopted a bemused expression.  “Let’s see…” she said, setting down her chopsticks.  “By the time I hooked up with Tripp, I’d had… eight boyfriends.  I think.  I’d tried all kinds of things in the bedroom.”  She began to tick scenarios off on her fingers.  “I’d been the dominant mistress, the strict teacher, the one who ties up her partner, the partner who gets tied up, the cheap slut, the chaste virgin… you name it.  Hypnotized slavegirl was just another experience.”</p><p>Robin couldn’t hide her expression of disgust.</p><p>“Oh, Rob,” Melanie sighed.  “You’ve never been hypnotized yourself, right?”</p><p>“No,” admitted Robin.</p><p>“Well, seriously, girl, try it yourself someday before you go throwing assumptions.  Always try new things,” Melanie counseled.  She switched topics.  “So… you got laid off?”</p><p>“Yeah,” said her friend glumly.  “Are they hiring yoga instructors in Columbus?”</p><p>“No, and believe me, I’ve looked,” grumbled Melanie.  “Stupid recession.”</p><p>Robin cocked her head to one side.  “Waitaminute… you’re also a yoga teacher?”</p><p>“Oh, I didn’t mention that?” the blonde woman asked, dipping another gyoza into the soy sauce.  “Yeah, I do yoga, reiki, and transcendental meditation.  It seemed like a cool way to explore the mind-body connection.”</p><p>Not knowing what else to say, Robin merely laughed.</p><p>“Why don’t you come back to Columbus with me?” Melanie asked.  “It would be cool to hang with you again.  And I’m sure we can figure out something for money.”</p><p>Robin studied her friend.  Melanie had posed this question as casually as you might ask, “<em>Should we order more coffee?</em>”  Even now, the blonde woman regarded her friend with a mask-like expression.</p><p>“You serious?” Robin asked.</p><p>“Totally,” nodded Melanie.  “You just told me, your life in Indianapolis is shit, right?  Your scumbag ex is here, romping around town.  Why would you want to bump into him?  Fuck him.  Move to Columbus.”  She smiled.  “We have much better Japanese restaurants.”</p><p>Robin wanted to laugh again.  “Fuck me, come to Columbus, and live… where?  I don’t know-“</p><p>“Live with me,” urged Melanie.</p><p>“You said you live with your boyfriend,” Robin pointed out.</p><p>“Dylan,” affirmed her blonde friend.  “Yeah, he’s the manager of a band.  He’s out a lot.  He won’t mind.”</p><p>Robin opened her mouth.</p><p>“Stop right there,” Melanie cut her off.  “You hear that little voice in the back of your head that says, <em>‘Wait, this is crazy!’</em>  You know what I always do, Rob?  I always say <strong><em>fuck that little voice</em></strong>.  Fuck it!  That little voice only holds you back.  Life is far more fun when you jump at opportunities.”</p><p>Robin could feel her mouth hanging open.  What did she have tying her to Indianapolis?  Her ex-husband?  Her shitty apartment?  Her causal girlfriends… whom she never had time to meet?</p><p>“Come on, bitch,” grinned Melanie.  She leaned forward.  “<strong><em>Let’s do something crazy.</em></strong>”</p><p>*** *** ***</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Expressing Our Artistic Selves</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Melanie’s pad was a fourth-story loft in Columbus’ trendy Clintonville neighborhood.  The first thing one noticed the apartment was the enormous bay windows that looked south towards the city.</p><p>“Wow,” Robin gaped, impressed.</p><p>“Oh, yeah,” said Melanie, setting down one of Robin’s suitcases.  “Dylan knows the owner of this building, I think.  Or his dad knows the owner.  Or something.”  She shrugged.</p><p>Robin looked about.  The apartment was one big, open space of hardwood floors, with a kitchenette and general sitting area on the first floor.  One could see a tiny-but-clean bathroom tucked behind the kitchen.  There was no eating space or television.  A narrow wooden staircase rose up to the loft, which supported a small recording studio.  Many guitars were displayed on the wall.  There was also a door leading to what had to be the bedroom.  That bedroom looked small.</p><p>“Huh…” Robin said, gazing about.  “Um, where can I sleep?”</p><p>“We’ll…  Hmm.  Well, we’ll have to set up a sleeping bag down here,” shrugged Melanie.  It was obvious from her expression that she hadn’t given any thought to the sleeping question until now.  “And we’ll figure out something more private when we can.”</p><p>“Sure, thanks,” Robin nodded, hoping she was hiding her disappointment.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>Although Melanie wanted to talk a walk through the neighborhood, Robin insisted on starting a job search right away.  But all of her Internet searches on the Columbus job boards were in vain.</p><p>“Shit,” scowled Robin.  She hadn’t realized how much she’d pinned her hopes on landing something right away.</p><p>“No worries, girlfriend,” Melanie said, as if there wasn’t a care in the world.  “I have an idea.  Let’s get bubble tea.”</p><p>Robin frowned.  “What the fuck,” she said, “is bubble tea?”</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>Bubble tea turned out to be an ice-cold, syrupy green beverage, served in a clear plastic cup, and with a straw thicker than Robin’s finger.  She tentatively sipped.</p><p>“<strong><em>Gah!</em></strong>” the young woman recoiled.  “This has to have, what, five pounds of sugar in it?”</p><p>Robin and Melanie were outside Northmoor Park, sitting on a park bench, enjoying the rolling green fields before them and the blue sky overhead.  A father and his two young daughters were struggling to launch a kite in the park’s great lawn.</p><p>Robin sipped her tea again, then nearly gagged.</p><p>“The fuck?” she spat.  “There’s… a ball or something at the bottom of this!”</p><p>“Yeah,” Melanie said, “that’s the boba.  You’re supposed to eat ‘em.”  She sucked down a generous portion of her own tea.</p><p>The two women watched the family struggle with their kite.  Further in the distance, a group of college-age friends started up a game of Ultimate Frisbee.</p><p>“So…” Robin began, unable to relax, “…what do you think I could be doing for money?”</p><p>Melanie nodded.  “I dunno,” she said lightly.  “Actually, there’s a money-making project I’ve been kicking around for a while.  Meant to do it last year, but – you know – real life got in the way.”</p><p>“What?” Robin asked guardedly.</p><p>Swiveling on the bench to study her friend, Melanie smiled like an imp.  “Actually, this could be great for both of us.  It’s a website: <em>Two Nude Girls Doing Yoga.</em>”</p><p>Robin’s face fell.  “Oh, no…”</p><p>Melanie ignored the comment.  “It would be an art site, subscription-based, but with some ads.  I took an Internet marketing class two years ago, its totally doable.  We’d base the revenue stream on-”</p><p>“Whoa!” cried Robin.  “What, <strong><em>exactly</em></strong>, are we doing on this site?”</p><p>Staring as if she couldn’t imagine a more obvious question, Melanie said, “We’d be doing yoga.  In the nude.”</p><p>“It’s a porn site,” declared the brunette.</p><p>Melanie snorted.  “Its not porn.  Please.”  Her smile broke out.  “It would be artistic expression, Rob, a celebration of the female form.  I want the photos to be in black-and-white, framed against a soft, neutral background.  Like something Mapplethorpe or Edward Weston might have done.”</p><p>Unable to think of anything intelligent to say, Robin mere spluttered, “I…  I…  I…  I can’t pose <strong><em>naked!</em></strong>  Not on the Internet!”</p><p>Puzzled, Melanie asked, “…why?”</p><p>Robin put her face in her hands.</p><p>“Oh, c’mon,” chuckled the blonde.  “You gotta admit: this website sounds <strong><em>amazing</em></strong>.”</p><p>Feeling a headache coming on, Robin moaned, “Oh, Mel…”</p><p>“There are already a few nude yogis online,” Melanie went on, seemingly oblivious to her friend’s distress.  “But no-one’s doing it as a <strong><em>pair</em></strong>, see?  I think two women’s bodies, posed together, would be really beautiful.”  She sighed contentedly.  “Now, I get that you’ve never done something like this before, so we wouldn’t show your face.  Showing your face would inhibit you, right?  So, if you want, you could wear a mask.  Or always face away from the camera.”</p><p>Slowly, Robin looked up.  She brushed a strand of brown hair out of her face.  “I could be anonymous?” she asked warily.</p><p>“Sure,” replied Melanie.  She took another gulp of tea.</p><p>Out in the field, the family’s kite caught an updraft and soared into the sky.  The father and his daughters whooped with triumph.</p><p>Robin sat up, chewing her lip.  “And you know how to monetize this?” she wanted to know.  “How much would…?”</p><p>“First, we’d need content, some photos,” Melanie said, watching the kite.  “Probably about fifty or so would do.  Then, my friend Tagge would design the website, do all the computer stuff.  I don’t know how to do that.  Finally, once we have a mock-up site, we shop it to advertisers.  That’s really standard nowadays.”  She sipped again.  “If we could get this done before end-of-the-month, the initial seed money would be… I dunno… probably $5,000?”</p><p>“<strong><em>Five grand?</em></strong>” yelped Robin.</p><p>“Around that,” Melanie shrugged.  “We’d have to keep posting content once we go live, but at that point, the hard work of launching is done.  And we’d still have to find other work, this would just be side income.”</p><p>“…huh,” was Robin’s only comment.</p><p>Melanie set down her tea.  “But the important part is that this would be <strong><em>you ‘n me</em></strong>, Rob!  Expressing our artistic selves, just like we did in Oberlin ballet!  Showing the world that we are female, we are powerful, and we are beautiful!”  She beamed.  “What could be a bigger statement to the world than that?”</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>“<strong><em>Where</em></strong> would we take these photos?” Robin asked carefully.</p><p>The two young women were strolling back across Northmoor Park.  It was growing late, and soon the sun would set.  Melanie’s apartment was only a few blocks away.</p><p>“For our first shoot, we’d use my place,” Melanie replied easily.  “Its roomy, and we can cobble together a makeshift studio pretty easily.  Later, I’ll want to find more interesting locales.”</p><p>Robin absently kicked at a pebble.  “You know, the moment you call this <em>Two Nude Girls Doing Anything</em>, half the Internet will assume this site is Girl-on-Girl Porn.”</p><p>“Okay, okay, fine,” Melanie allowed.  “We’ll call it <em>Two Nude Girls Just Doing Yoga</em>.  That still works.”</p><p>“Hmmgh,” Robin mused.</p><p>Her blonde friend sighed lightly.  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not looking to show off my butthole or vage, neither.  And off the bat, yes, we’ll get a lot of horny guys looking for lesbian kicks.  But once people see that we’re just practicing yoga and letting it all hang out there, we’ll attract the artsy people.  That’s my hope.”</p><p>“How would we take the pictures?  Camera with a timer?”</p><p>“I have a friend,” Melanie replied.  “Gay fellow, supernice.  I’ve never worked with him, but I’m sure he’d do it.  This could count for credit for his photography course.”</p><p>The two friends fell silent.  The exited the park, walked a block, and then crossed N. High St.  Robin eyed a recently boarded-up pharmacy, with a GOING OUT OF BUSINESS sign listlessly hanging on the front door.</p><p>“When would we start?” Robin asked Melanie.</p><p>“Today,” Melanie replied.</p><p>True to her word, Melanie went right to work.  Once back at the apartment, she started making phone calls.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>The next morning, things began happening.  A Finnish friend named Mika swung by the apartment, dropping off two big cardboard boxes.  “Return to me when done,” Mika said in his thick accent, and then was gone.</p><p>Inside the boxes were enormous sheets of thin gauze.  “Nice!” Melanie proclaimed when she first saw the fabric.  She borrowed two stepladders from her superintendent, and then, with Robin’s help, carefully hung the thin cloth over her apartment’s bay windows.</p><p>“There,” the blonde woman said, pleased.  The gauze had become a vast curtain, obscuring the view of Columbus, but allowing the natural light to stream through.  “This will be our backdrop.”</p><p>Next, the two women shoved every piece of furniture off the hardwood floor, creating a wide, open space.</p><p>“Won’t your boyfriend get mad?” Robin couldn’t help but ask.  She eyed the kitchenette, which was almost inaccessible now.</p><p>“Dylan?” sighed Melanie.  “Oh, he’s in Washington State.  The band’s tour is gonna be another three months.”  She looked bummed.  “But he won’t mind if we shoot here.”</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>About an hour later, Melanie got another call on her cellular.  “Come on up,” was all she said into the phone.</p><p>Three minutes later, the apartment’s front door opened, and a young fellow stepped through.  He was modestly built, with a well-kept haircut, stylish polo shirt, jeans, and sandals.  He flashed a bright smile, and Robin immediately liked his soft, brown eyes.  In his arms were two duffle bags, both of which looked heavy.</p><p>“Hey, babe,” Melanie said, and greeted the stranger with a quick kiss on the lips.  The kiss was a mere touch of lips, a platonic embrace.</p><p>“This is Stefan,” the blonde woman explained to Robin.  “Well, his parents named him Bufford.”</p><p>“Ugh,” Stefan groaned, tossing his head in an annoyed way.  There was a definite lisp in his voice.  He cast his eyes over the apartment, especially the great gauze curtain.  It was now two in the afternoon, and the natural sunlight caused the shroud to almost glow.</p><p>“Ohhh yeah,” the young man exclaimed, his expression lighting up.  “I see what you mean, Mel.  Yeah!  Yeah, this place will work nicely.”</p><p>“Steffy will shoot the photos,” Melanie said to Robin.  Stefan was already unzipping his bags and removing equipment.  “I asked him over for a prelim shoot.  You know, just to see if this place-“</p><p>“Oh, this place will <strong><em>work</em></strong>,” Stefan promised.  “With that natural light?  It’ll work.  Fuck it, we should just do a full shoot now.”</p><p>Both Robin and Melanie were taken aback.  “Now?” Melanie repeated.</p><p>“Sure, why not?” Stefan said, setting up his first metal tripod.  “Tomorrow’s its supposed to be overcast, but today that light is magic!”  He looked at the young women.  “You guys are ready to pose, right?”</p><p>“I am,” replied Melanie.</p><p>Robin didn’t say anything.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>After ten minutes, Stefan had two lamps with umbrella reflectors up on his tripods, plus a heavy-looking camera on a third stand.  It took another ten minutes before Melanie could find a spare electrical outlet to plug in the power bar.</p><p>“There,” the photographer said proudly, then snapped on his equipment.</p><p>Immediately, the emptied space before the windows glowed with a bright, warm light.  Robin was impressed.</p><p>“Nice, nice, nice…” Stefan muttered excitedly, peering through his camera lens.  “Oh, nice.  You guys know that I’ve been in pro studios without this much illumination?  Oh, this is so sweet.  I love you, Mel.”</p><p>“Thanks, doll,” Melanie responded.  “So… we’re good to go?”</p><p>“Yeah, let’s do it,” said Stefan, twisting his focus and tapping camera buttons.</p><p>Without so much as a shrug, Melanie stripped naked.  She pulled her tee shirt over her head, then shimmied out of her leggings.  Her sandals were kicked off, followed by her undies, and then finally, her bra.</p><p>“There,” the blonde woman said matter-of-factly, as she moved to stand directly before the camera.  The warm lights hungrily bathed her smooth body.</p><p>Robin found herself staring.  She’s seen Melanie in the buff before, of course, but that was years ago.  The girl’s ballet physique had been remolded into a curvier, more muscular package.  In particular, Melanie’s shoulders and butt were rounder but firmer.  Her waist was trimmer.  Her graceful arms and legs were threaded with ironlike muscles.  When she set her spine, her round breasts jutted out, and they practically glowed under Stefan’s lights.  Robin was unsurprised to see that her friend was freshly shaved.</p><p>“Wait a sec,” Melanie said, and she worked quickly to pull up her hair and secure it in a tie.  “There.  As long as I don’t pose in any crazy inversions, this should hold.”</p><p>“Oh, you look beautiful,” Stefan marveled, squinting through his camera.  “I’m gonna start taking test picts, okay?”</p><p>“Sure,” the blonde nude allowed.  She looked at Robin.  “You want to join me?”</p><p>Robin felt paralyzed.  “Er… maybe later,” she hemmed.</p><p>Melanie shrugged.  She shook out her arms and legs, breathing deeply.  Then, with strength and control, she adopted a Warrior II pose, which spread her feet and caused her to extend her arms straight out away from her shoulders.  She held her head up, exposing her graceful neck.</p><p>“Nice,” commented Stefan, snapping picts.  “Okay, got it.  Another pose?”</p><p>Moving fluidly, Melanie swung her hands to the floor and stepped back into a perfect Downward-Facing Dog.  Robin admired her friend’s form.  As an instructor herself, she threw this pose at her students constantly.  Many could step into it; few could make it look so elegant.</p><p>“So good,” muttered Stefan, clicking away.  He glanced at Robin.  “Hey, you wanna see?”</p><p>The photographer folded a small screen off of his camera, and there was the frozen image he’d just captured.  Melanie looked glorious in her pose.  Her body, lovingly washed in perfect light, was cream-colored and flawless.  One could see her muscles gently straining.  Her arms and rear end, in particular, were highlighted well.</p><p>“She looks… wow,” Robin said, impressed.</p><p>“Its good?” asked Melanie, still in the pose.</p><p>“Just keep going,” Stefan urged.</p><p>Melanie exhaled, then lifted one leg skyward for an extended Down Dog.  Stefan captured it all.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>“Holy shit, this is gonna work,” Melanie exclaimed.</p><p>Robin, Melanie, and Stefan were gathered around Stefan’s laptop, cycling through the digiphotos, one-by-one.  Melanie had stepped behind the camera, and was still completely nude.  The laptop screen was large, and the three could inspect every inch of Melanie’s taut body.  In the photos, she looked powerful, in control, and beautiful.</p><p>“You’re a goddess,” breathed Stefan.  “You’re a fucking goddess, and I’m a genius.  Fuck me…!”</p><p>Robin felt a strange pang of jealousy.  Melanie looked glorious, there was no doubt about that.</p><p>The next image flicked onto the screen, and all three people flinched.  In the picture, Melanie was in wheel pose, and from Stefan’s angle, they could see her vagina and anus.</p><p>“Aw, Jeez,” Robin grimaced.  “That was more of you than I wanted to see, Mel.”</p><p>“Yeah, we’ll not share that one,” Stefan agreed, clicking DELETE.</p><p>Melanie shrugged.  “Its just my body, guys.”</p><p>“Mel, you mind if I share these shots with my photography class?” Stefan asked, mesmerized by his laptop screen.  “The composition, the lighting…  We could learn from these.”</p><p>“Sure,” allowed Melanie.</p><p>The blonde woman looked at Robin.  “My idea’s gonna work, Rob.  You want to join me?”</p><p>Once again, Robin felt her stomach churn.  Melanie had only sprung this crazy “<em>Nude Girls Just Doing Yoga</em>” idea yesterday!  How was Robin supposed to process?</p><p>“I have an idea,” Melanie suggested.  “Suppose we do a few shots with you in clothes, just so you can get used to-“</p><p>“No, no, I’ll know you’re nakey, I’ll still be weird,” Robin said reflexively.  A strange sense of panic seized her.  She crossed her arms and glared at her own shoes.  “Jesus, Mel, can you put a robe or something on, <strong><em>please?</em></strong>”</p><p>The blonde woman thought quickly.  “Steffy, how long do we have you?”</p><p>Stefan glanced at his watch.  “Ninety minutes, tops.  We’re starting to lose the light.”</p><p>“Okay, I have an idea,” Melanie said, clasping her hands before herself.  “Robin, you and I will do some poses with you in your sports bra and leggings.  We’ll face away from one another.  But first, let’s do a <em>nankra</em> chant meditation together, ‘cause you’re way too nervous.  If you still don’t want to pose after chanting, then this wasn’t meant to be.  Sound good?”</p><p>Robin nodded uncertainly.  “I won’t be facing you?” she repeated.</p><p>“Nope,” said Melanie.  “Steffy, can you take a walk for a bit?  We’ll need twenty minutes.  I’ll call you when we’re ready.”</p><p>The photographer looked slightly disappointed, but he didn’t protest.  “I should call my boyfriend anyway,” he grumbled, then left the apartment.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>“Okay,” Melanie said, taking charge, “stand here.”</p><p>Robin and the blonde woman were alone, standing before Stefan’s unmanned camera.  Robin had changed into her workout outfit, a sleeveless, skintight top with bare midriff and matching leggings.  Her feet were bare.  Melanie was still naked, and didn’t seem to be aware of her own nudity.</p><p>“Seriously,” fretted Robin, “can’t you put something on?”</p><p>“If I’m going to be posing with you while naked,” Melanie huffed, “then we should do the chant with me naked.  That’ll allow your subconscious to ease into the idea of working together in my birthday suit.”</p><p>Robin shifted on her feet, but didn’t argue.  “What kind of chant is this again?” she frowned.</p><p>“Stand straight,” Melanie instructed, gently touching Robin’s shoulders.  “Arms at your sides, feet grounded.  Loose knees.  This is a <em>nankra</em> chant meditation, we do these in Transmed all the time.”</p><p>“’kay,” Robin allowed, adopting the pose.  Melanie stood directly before her.</p><p>“No more speaking,” cautioned the blonde.  “Only thinking inwardly.  Focus on your breathing.  Close your eyes down.  Go on, I’ll always be here.  Close them down.”</p><p>Robin obeyed, feeling a little silly.</p><p>“Good,” Melanie’s sweet voice said.  “Now, breathe in through the nose, out through the lungs.  Exactly like you were teaching a Vinyasa flow class.  Good.  Breathe in for five seconds, hold for two, exhale slowly for seven seconds.  Begin doing that automatically.”</p><p><em>Got it</em>, Robin thought, willing her body to respond.</p><p>“Excellent,” complimented Melanie.  “Now, with your inner <em>chakra</em>, focus on my words.  Imagine that the breath will continue to grow and expand and my words will calm and guide you.  Soon, perhaps very soon, you will feel your energy flowing from your head, down through your body, and into Gaia supporting you.  Allow it to happen.”</p><p>In yoga, instructors are encouraged to talk about how a person’s energy connects with the earth.  The universe gives energy, and if you choose to give it back, you will establish a cycle of rejuvenation.  Personally, Robin never thought much of this Eastern phraseology… but she’d noticed that many of her students seemed to appreciate it.  Now, she allowed Melanie to weave this verbal tapestry over her.</p><p>“You will find,” Melanie’s voice told her, “that as you breathe, as your heart pumps blood, your energies will begin to flow down through your legs, down through your feet, down into the earth.  Allow your consciousness to flow with it.  You will feel your body and mind connect and flow into a tranquil understanding.  There is only your energy, the universe, and my voice.  Let it happen.”</p><p>Robin felt herself sigh.  Her shoulders were opening up and becoming loose.  Hanging beside her, her arms felt like thick cords of rope, merely dangling from her body.  A gentle warmth was creeping over her.</p><p>“Excellent,” Melanie said neatly.  “Breathe, flow, release, surrender.  You are doing so well.  In fact, Rob, you will notice that as you concentrate, your thoughts will begin to flow along with your energy.  Let them flow.  Concentrate, and they will dissolve.  You are feeling peaceful, relaxed, so wonderful in every way.”</p><p>That much was true.  This <em>nankra</em> meditation, whatever it was, kinda felt like getting high.  Robin sighed again, enjoying the melty feeling that was causing all her muscles to relax and turn to mush.</p><p>Melanie spoke on and on, her words transformative.  Robin felt as if she were being turned into a human statue of living warm water, relaxed and yet peaceful.  Her mind drifted, and she did not notice when her thoughts began to mirror Melanie’s words almost exactly.  Tranquilized, Robin floated along, forgetting all of her woes, happy to simply to follow that wonderful voice that guided her.</p><p>Absently, Robin wondered if she wasn’t being placed under some kind of wonderful spell.</p><p>In that moment, Melanie’s voice suddenly became deeper and seductive.  “And now,” she commanded, “I will count down from ten to one, Rob.  As I do, each number sends you down, deeper, further under my guidance and control.  You will relax deeper with each number, allowing your every thought and desire to become responsive to my voice.  Are you ready?  Here we go…  Ten…”</p><p>Robin listened, yet registered nothing.  She felt oddly detached, as if everything she was experiencing was a pleasant dream, and nothing mattered at all.  She wanted Melanie to guide her.</p><p>“…and <strong><em>one</em></strong>,” Melanie’s voice said.  “And now, Rob, you are deeply hypnotized and so very happy to be under my influence.  Every time I give you instructions while you are in this relaxed state, you will find that you only want to follow and obey me.  You will carry out all my instructions totally believing that they are your own ideas.  You will happily do all that I tell you to do.”</p><p>There was a pause.  Robin floated within her trance, not a care in the world.</p><p>“Wonderful,” purred Melanie.  “And now, listen very carefully.  In a moment, I will awaken you.  The instant you open your eyes, you will forget that you have been hypnotized.  You will remember nothing.</p><p>“But more than anything, Rob,” she continued, ”you want to do nude yoga before the camera.  This is the one thought that passes through your mind over and over again:  You want to do nude yoga before the camera.  Nothing would make you happier.  The more this thought reoccurs to you, the happier this desire makes you.  Soon it will become irresistible and you must obey it.</p><p>“You no longer have any qualms about being naked.  You have a beautiful body, and expressing yourself without clothes feels as natural as breathing.  You are excited about doing nude yoga with me.</p><p>“But again and again, your mind will return to one core thought:  You want to do nude yoga before the camera.  You want to do nude yoga before the camera.  You want to do nude yoga before the camera.</p><p>Melanie was silent for a moment.  “And now,” she murmured, her words penetrating Robin’s mind, “you will awaken on the count of three, remembering nothing.  One…”</p><p>*** *** ***</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Manifestation Transference</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Robin blinked, momentarily distracted.</p><p>Standing before her was Melanie, still nude, still watching her very closely.</p><p>“Mmm, I’m sorry?” said Robin, shaking the cobwebs from her mind.  “You were saying?”</p><p>“We were doing the <em>nankra</em> chant meditation,” Melanie replied.  “You know, to help you ease into the idea of posing with me, while I’m naked?”  She looked amused.  “And you got really into it.  In fact-“</p><p>“You know what?” interrupted Robin.  A strange confidence was overtaking her.  “You know what?  I’m good.  I’m ready to pose.”</p><p>Melanie gave her friend a quizzical look.  “For reals…?”</p><p>“For reals,” Robin asserted.  She nodded, once.  It had been a long time since she’d ever felt so ballsy.  “Let’s do it.”</p><p>“I’ll call Steffy,” Melanie said, and moved to get her cellular.  She dialed quickly, then spoke with the photographer for less than a minute.</p><p>“He’s around the corner,” the blonde reported, setting down her phone.  “And he’ll be back in just…”</p><p>She stopped short.  Robin was peeling off her top and then her yoga leggings.</p><p>“What?” Robin said when she spotted Melanie’s bemused expression.  She slid off her leggings and underwear.  “I just thought to myself…  I want to do nude yoga before the camera.”</p><p>Now naked herself, Robin tossed aside her clothes.  “Isn’t that weird?” she laughed.  “Suddenly, out of the blue, I just think to myself: <em>I want to do nude yoga before the camera.</em>  And then…  I had to take everything off!”</p><p>“Well, then,” Melanie smiled.  “You want a mask?  Or should we pose you facing away-“</p><p>“No, I can do this,” Robin said bravely.  She looked down at herself.  “But can I ask a favor?  Can I pop into your shower?  I want to pose completely shaved, too.”</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>“Okay, what are you ladies going to show me?” Stefan asked, adjusting his focus.  “We’ve got maybe forty-five minutes, let’s make it count.”</p><p>Both Robin and Melanie stood before him, both as naked as the day they were born.  Neither were uncomfortable in the least.</p><p>“What first?” Robin asked.  “You know double Down-Dog?”</p><p>“Yeah,” replied Melanie.  “You start, I’ll build off you.”</p><p>Robin nodded, then positioned herself parallel to Stefan’s camera.  She lowered herself onto her hands and feet, as if she were about to do a push-up.  Then, in a quick motion, she straightened her arms, and bent at her hips.  This forced her rear end into the air and positioned her into an upside-down letter “V”, known as the Downward-Facing Dog pose in yoga.  If you ever go to a yoga class, you’ll quickly realize that yogi instructors love this pose to an almost obsessive degree.</p><p>“Nice,” Melanie said, quickly standing less than a foot before Robin.  “Now hold that.”</p><p>The blonde rotated to face away from her partner.  Then she bent at the waist, reached down and firmly pressed her hands onto the floor.  Shifting her balance, she lifted her feet straight up into the air, coming into a perfect handstand.  Only when the stand was complete, did Melanie carefully lower her legs at the hips, slowly bringing her feet to gently rest on Robin’s lower back.</p><p>“Ohhh… wow,” Stefan muttered.  The two women concentrated on their breathing, and were grateful to hear the camera click away.</p><p>“Got it!” the photographer announced.</p><p><em>I want to do nude yoga before the camera</em>, Robin thought to herself, extremely pleased.</p><p>She felt Melanie disengage from the pose, and then allowed herself to relax.  When she stood up, her blonde partner was grinning at her.</p><p>“What next?” Robin said, excited.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>The next half hour were both wonderful and surreal to Robin.  She and Melanie did as many poses as they could remember.  Sometimes the women simply did solo poses, but positioned themselves so that they were in perfect symmetry to Stefan’s camera.  But in other poses, the two women built a pose together, supporting one another with their bodies and muscles.</p><p>Robin felt almost light-headed.  With each subsequent pose, she was hyperaware of Melanie’s supple body… the other woman’s smooth skin, the firmness of her muscles, the warmth of her presence, the smell of her hair… all of these things became to the forefront of Robin’s senses.  She could hear Melanie breathe, sense her heart pump blood, feel her limbs flex and relax as their two bodies came closer and closer to one another.  Robin could tell exactly what Melanie was physically feeling.</p><p>A silent communication opened up between the two nude women.  Breaths became synchronized.  When Robin moved to enter or exit a pose, Melanie moved at the exact same time.  If Melanie had to place her hands on Robin’s body, the need was understood and permission was granted with a mere glance or gesture.  They began to think as one woman, interweaving their bodies and thoughts without hesitation.</p><p>The last pose was a lift, where Melanie lay on the ground, but her powerful legs held Robin suspended in the air.  Robin set her core muscles, then set her belly against Melanie’s bare feet.  Melanie pushed upward, gently raising her partner upwards.  Robin responded with the counterpose, stretching her own limbs out across the floor.</p><p>Amazed at the feeling of wonder blooming inside her, Robin could not but help to glance down.  Locked in concentration, Melanie gazed back up.  The two women’s eyes met.</p><p>Neither said a word.  Indeed, the demanding pose ensured that neither could speak at all.</p><p>But in that instant, time stopped.  Robin saw Melanie… her nude, sweaty body, her carefree blonde curls, her lovely face, and those mesmerizing hazel eyes…  And something stirred within the young woman.  A lifetime of emotion seemed to be pouring through her.</p><p>Robin had to focus her mind and return to the pose.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>Five hours later, it was almost 10:30 in the evening.  Robin was showered and back in her street clothes.  Stefan, positively gaga about the images he’d captured, had long since raced home, eager to inspect his work.  He’d arranged to burn all the photos onto a CD, and later the two yoga instructors would select which would be uploaded to their future website.</p><p>Melanie’s apartment was still arranged as a makeshift photo studio.  So Robin sat on the couch that was now partially shoved into the kitchen.  She absently sipped a cup of microwaved tea.</p><p>The young woman’s mind was tumbling about.  Her thoughts were consumed by her memories of the photo shoot…  Moving with Melanie…  Breathing with Melanie…  Allowing their two bodies to merge and brace off one another…  Touching Melanie…  Robin couldn’t get these images and sensations out of the forefront of her mind.  She wanted to relive in the moment.</p><p><em>Jesus, what the fuck’s the matter with me?</em> the young woman absently thought.</p><p>Melanie herself came down the narrow stairs from the bedroom, now dressed in a cutoff tee, a jean skirt, and flip-flops.  A pink towel was still wrapped about her hair, as she’d just jumped out of the shower.</p><p>Sitting up, Robin did her best to clear her daydreams.  After spending so much time watching Melanie in the nude, it was almost startling to see her in clothes.</p><p>The blonde took one look at the overpacked kitchen and laughed.  “Well, we ain’t cooking tonight,” she chortled.  “Wanna order tapas?”</p><p>“Sure,” Robin said, then smiled.  Not just an ordinary smile.  A wide, <em>I’m-so-happy-to-see-you</em> smile.</p><p>Melanie paused, inspecting her friend.  “You okay?”</p><p>“Yeah,” replied Robin, then blushed.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>For reasons neither woman could place, their meal was hurried and awkward.  Robin found she didn’t want to look at Melanie directly, yet longed to gaze into those endless hazel eyes.  Her disorganized thoughts kept bumping into one another.</p><p>“When do you think we’ll launch the website?” she managed to ask.</p><p>“I’ll call Tagge tonight,” replied Melanie.  “Ah, no make that tomorrow morning.  I want him to set it up so that only you and I have access.”</p><p>“You and I,” nodded Robin.  “Right.”</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>After dinner, Melanie made a flimsy excuse to go to bed early.  The couch was too small for a person to sleep on it, so the blonde woman set up Robin’s sleeping bag and pillow on the floor.  Then she quickly scurried back up the loft stairs.  The door to the bedroom softly clicked shut.</p><p>Robin stripped down to her tee and panties, turned off the lights, then burrowed into her bedding.  She felt so confused.  In her mind, she could still see Melanie’s curvy, cream-colored body, smell Melanie’s fragrance, feel Melanie’s soft skin under her fingertips, sense Melanie’s lungs and heart pulsing with energy.  The sound of Melanie’s musical voice lingered in the air.</p><p><em>What the fuck is the matter with me?</em> Robin wondered.  She was both frightened and strangely delighted.  <em>Like I’m under a spell,</em> she thought.</p><p>Sleep was impossible.  Robin lay on her belly, wishing she could drift off, allowing her mind to wander anywhere it wished…</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>“Hey you,” a soft voice murmured over Robin’s head.</p><p>The young woman twisted about in her sleeping bag, startled.  Melanie knelt over her, smiling down at Robin’s surprised expression.  The blonde was wearing a simple tee shirt and boy shorts.  The modest garments hung off Melanie’s well-formed muscles, hinting at the luscious curves underneath.</p><p>“Hey you,” Melanie whispered again.  She was confident, grinning in a carefree manner.  “I can’t stop thinking about you.”</p><p>“…me either,” Robin found herself admitting.  She felt strangely powerless.</p><p>“Mmm,” murmured the blonde woman, and she reached down to gently caress Robin’s cheek with one loving hand.  “You’re a cutie baby, you know that?  I so love your body.”</p><p>Robin swallowed.</p><p>“You know why you suddenly had a change of heart about posing with me, don’t you?” Melanie asked.  “Simple.  I hypnotized you, using a distraction technique.  You’re quite susceptible.”</p><p>“Hypnotized me?” repeated Robin, alarmed.  “You mean… like what Tripp did to you…?”</p><p>“Of course Tripp taught me hypnotism,” gloated Melanie.  “I didn’t mention that?  Well, surprise.”</p><p>“Actually,” the blonde went on, unzipping the sleeping bag, “no surprise at all.”  Her voice became low and husky.  “The moment I saw you, Rob, I knew I had to entrance that sweet, round ass of yours.  So juicy.  So slapable.  I have to have it.  I have to have <strong><em>you</em></strong>.”</p><p>Melanie’s hands moved to Robin’s shoulders.  Using gentle pressure, Melanie maneuvered Robin to lie on her back.</p><p>“Wait a minute,” Robin said, her heart pounding.  “Mel, wait a minute…  I don’t-“</p><p>“Yes, you do,” Melanie whispered.  She lifted her own tee up and over her head, allowing her breasts to bounce free in the cool night air.  Then the blonde carefully straddled Robin’s stomach, balancing herself on her knees and hands.</p><p>“I have to have you, Rob,” commanded the dominant blonde.  “Look into my eyes…  Look so deep, Rob…”</p><p>“Wait…” Robin pleaded.  “Mel, I don’t…”</p><p>“Shhh…!  Look into my eyes, Rob.  All will be alright.”</p><p>Melanie shifted her weight forward, moving her head directly over Robin’s.  Bouncy blonde curls spilled down all around, enclosing the two women’s faces in their own private curtain.  Robin found herself staring directly at Melanie’s enraptured face.</p><p>“That’s it, baby…” moaned Melanie.  “Now, you are relaxing…  You are releasing your energy.  Feel your body respond to my voice.  Feel yourself descend into a deep, enriching relaxation…  And obey…!”</p><p>Already, Robin could feel the hypnotic magic working on her.  Her arms and legs felt heavy and wooden, almost as if they wanted to separate and then melt away.  Her breathing was slowing, and her thoughts were fading.  Melanie’s power over her was absolute.</p><p>“Yes, baby, yes,” the blonde woman sighed.  “Let go, surrender to me.  It will feel so good.  Sooo good, baby.  In fact, in a moment, I will count from one to five, and on five, you will be deeply hypnotized once again.  You will want nothing but to obey the sound of my voice.  Ready?  One…”</p><p>Robin listened, feeling trapped but unconcerned.  As her friend counted, Robin felt her will drain away, transforming her into little more than a slave.  To her surprise, she liked this new feeling of submission.</p><p><em>Command me,</em> she thought to Melanie.  <em>Command me, and I’ll obey.  I’ll do anything you want.  Anything.</em></p><p>Perhaps Melanie heard this mental plea, for she smiled again.  “And now, baby,” the blonde breathed, “you will close your eyes and go into a deep hypnotic sleep.  Now.”</p><p>Robin’s eyes automatically closed.  Immediately, she felt as if her enchanted thoughts were separate from her tranquilized body.</p><p>“Wonderful, baby, so wonderful,” Melanie’s all-powerful voice said deep within her head.  “And now, you will relax deeper.  So much deeper.  Go even deeper under my complete control.</p><p>“Now…  Let’s do something crazy.  In a few minutes, you will awaken, feeling refreshed and full of energy.  You will immediately rise and remove all of your clothing.  Once you are completely naked, you will feel sexually charged, incredibly horny.  Your pussy will be wet.  You will crave sex like the she-beast you are.</p><p>“Then, Robin, you will climb the stairs and come into my bedroom.  You will feel confident and fearless.  You will climb into my bed and immediately make love to me.  You will take charge.  I love hypnotizing you, darling, but what I really want is a warrior-goddess to take me and make me blossom.  You will be that goddess.  You will make me cum and cum and cum and you will love every minute of it.</p><p>“And now… go deeper into your trance.  When you awaken, you cannot resist any of these commands.  Relax, and obey…”</p><p>Although she felt millions of miles away, Robin felt Melanie gently kiss her own motionless lips.  The scent of Melanie’s thick hair filled Robin’s nose.</p><p>Then, the blonde hypnotist rose to her feet.  Robin heard her climb the stairs, then vanish into the bedroom.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>Perhaps an eternity drifted by.  Robin floated, loving this feeling of no worries and no concerns.  Her thoughts faded in and out, usually unconnected to one another.</p><p>But then, a familiar sensation touched the young woman.  She craved… sex.  The touch of another’s nude body against her own.  A deep kiss and hands exploring her muscles.  The rush when her vagina activated.  And then…</p><p>Robin moaned happily.  She was aware of her own body.  She was lying on her back, tucked into the sleeping bag.  Her legs responded to her brain.  Her hands and arms were once more hers to control.  She was out of hypnosis.</p><p>To her surprise, Robin found one hand inside her panties, pressing against her genitals.  She was wet.  Very wet.</p><p><em>No surprise there</em>, she thought, smiling.  Still lying down, she lifted her hips and slipped off her underwear.  Her tee was easily discarded, and Robin was delighted to feel the apartment’s cool air on her nude skin.  Getting naked felt <strong><em>so right</em></strong> somehow.  She smiled, then bit her lip.</p><p>She knew what she had to do.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>Enjoying this feeling of powerlessness, Robin climbed the stairs and opened the bedroom door.  The bedside lamp was on, and she liked how the soft light washed over her body.</p><p>Melanie was lying on the messy bed, dressed in her tee and boxer shorts.  A worn paperback novel was in her slender hands.  She looked up in surprise.</p><p>“Rob,” she said, uncertain, “are you…?”</p><p>Robin ignored the question.  Obeying her hypnotic programming, she climbed onto the bed, then crawled straight to Melanie.  Right away, she drew her mouth to an inch within Melanie’s.</p><p>“Let’s do something crazy,” Robin barely whispered.</p><p>And then, she pressed her mouth against her blonde friend, and kissed her.  Deeply.</p><p>Melanie didn’t respond at first.</p><p><em>She wants me to dominate,</em> Robin reminded herself.  Giving herself up to the passion, she kissed even deeper, making sure her tongue reached out and caressed Melanie’s.</p><p>“…ooooohhhh…” the other woman moaned.  Robin felt her beginning to lean into the kiss.</p><p>That was all the encouragement Robin needed.  She scooched her knees forward, coming to rest on her haunches.  Then she grabbed the paperback, flinging it across the tiny bedroom.  Melanie’s tee shirt was quickly pulled off and followed the trajectory of the novel.</p><p>“God, I want you,” gasped Robin, now climbing into Melanie’s lap.  She seized her lover’s face with both hands, pulled Melanie’s lips back to her own, and drank deeply.  As she pressed forward, she could feel Melanie’s round breasts graze her own.  The sensation inflamed her passion even more.</p><p>The two women kissed.  Melanie placed her hands on Robin’s lower back, and Robin was able to run her own hands over Melanie’s arms and chest.  Her breasts were soft and firm, just as Robin had always imagined.  Melanie’s nipples stood straight out, testimony to her own arousal.</p><p>Robin could feel her own vaginal juices beginning to run down the inside of her thighs.  Surely, Melanie could smell them!</p><p>Obeying the lust within her, Robin hopped off her lover.  “Lie down,” she growled, already reaching for Melanie’s boxers.  The blonde woman obeyed her command, and allowed Robin to strip away the last of her clothes.  Both women were now naked.</p><p>“Mmm,” smiled the hypnotized Robin, enjoying being the dominant one.  Like a piano player, she ran her fingers over Melanie’s entire body, loving how Melanie shivered with excitement at her touch.</p><p>“Now, baby,” Robin breathed, “spread your legs.”</p><p>Melanie hesitated.</p><p>“Spread them,” insisted Robin, moving to position her head.  Gently but firmly, she placed her hands on Melanie’s knees and moved them to the side.</p><p>Melanie’s vagina awaited.  Even though the owner was trembling, the vagina itself was moist and impatient.  Robin smiled, and licked it once, a big, powerful lick, exactly like she was slurping an enormous scoop of ice cream.</p><p>“Oh, God!” Melanie cried out.  Her back arched, her feet planted against the mattress, and her graceful hands turned into claws as she snatched at the pillow.</p><p>Grinning, Robin leaned in.  She blew on Melanie’s spot, just a little stream of cool air, aimed at the right target.  Jim had once done this to her, back at Oberlin.  Long ago.</p><p>“Ohhhh… fuck…” Melanie groaned.  Her eyes were screwed shut, and she bit her own lip.  She was losing control.</p><p>And then, Robin pounced.  She ate at that vagina like the ferocious lioness she was.  Oh, in the back of her mind, she knew that she was merely obeying her hypnotic compulsions, but that didn’t matter.  Making Melanie climax was all that mattered.</p><p>“Ohhh, oh God, oh fuck!  Oh God, oh God!” Melanie wailed over and over.  The blonde’s face was a mixture of spasm and bliss.  She began to thrash back and forth, and Robin was forced to wrap her own arms around Melanie’s powerful legs to keep her genitals within sucking distance.  The hypnotized woman tongued on.</p><p>And then, Melanie’s whole body kicked.  Robin felt the thunderbolt as every muscle Melanie had activated.  A sweet aroma filled Robin’s nostrils, and she smiled to herself.  Her mistress was, at last, cumming.</p><p>“Ohhh…  Ohhh…  Ohhh…” Melanie gasped for air as her orgasm crested, then slowly faded.</p><p>Robin lovingly licked her some more, but Melanie was now limp.  Her energy was spent.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>The sound of the electric wall clock sounded thunderous in the quiet little room.  Robin wiped her mouth, then crawled up to lie alongside Melanie, who was still heaving for breath.  The hypnotized woman wrapped her arms around her lover.</p><p>“…oh… fuck…” Melanie croaked, allowing her eyelids to slowly open.  Robin laughed with delight; Melanie’s eyes were slightly crossed.</p><p>“You liked that, huh?” Robin smirked, proud of herself.</p><p>Melanie needed a moment to collect her thoughts.  Robin scrambled about, grabbing the bedsheet, then covering Melanie’s nude body.  Once the blonde woman was covered did Robin slip under the sheet to cuddle once more.</p><p>More silence passed.  Melanie was calming her breathing.  Robin decided to plant soft kisses on Melanie’s shoulder and neck, already fantasizing about the next round, when Melanie would make her climax.  Oh, it would be…</p><p>“Oh, Rob,” Melanie whispered, her voice anguished.  “Why did you <strong><em>do</em></strong> that?”</p><p>Robin’s smile faded.</p><p>“Hey bitch, what do you mean?” she asked, fondly using the old nickname.  “Mel, you hypnotized me, remember?  You commanded me to come up here and, ahem, pleasure you.”</p><p>“Oh my God,” Melanie said, rolling away and putting her face into her hands.  “Oh my God…!”</p><p>This didn’t feel right.  Robin, desperate to recapture the intimate feelings of only a minute ago, reached forward to pull Melanie into her body.</p><p>“Rob!” cried the blonde woman, leaping out of bed.  In a mad rush, she seized her clothes, furiously redressing.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” Robin said, anxiety rising within her.</p><p>“Rob,” wailed Melanie, “I only hypnotized you to do the nude photography with me.  <strong><em>Only</em></strong> that!”</p><p>“No,” Robin frowned.  “No, that’s…”  She cleared her throat.  “No, that’s wrong.  You came to me tonight, put me back under, and commanded me to-“</p><p>“To come in here and seduce me?” Melanie finished.  She gestured in exasperation.  “No, I <strong><em>didn’t</em></strong>, Robin!”</p><p>Robin stared.  “What, are you fucking lying?  You-“</p><p>“<strong><em>Why</em></strong> would I do that?” Melanie demanded.  “Rob, I’m with Dylan.  And you’re coming off a divorce.  And – for fuck’s sake – we’re friends!”</p><p>Robin didn’t know what to think.  “Yeah, but you…”</p><p>Her expression unreadable, Melanie asked, “What did you mean when you said, ‘<em>You commanded me to come up here</em>’?”</p><p>“You don’t remember?” Robin almost shouted.  “I was in that fucking sleeping bag; you came downstairs and put the whammy on me.  Zapped me back into a trance.  Told me I’d come up here and suck you out.  And be the dominant one.”  She stared.  “<strong><em>You don’t remember that?</em></strong>”</p><p>“Rob, I haven’t left this bedroom all evening,” Melanie said plainly.  “After dinner, I said good night, came upstairs, and shut the door.  I was about to turn off the light when you barged in.”</p><p>It was Robin’s first instinct to challenge Melanie’s statement.  After all, she’d seen Melanie kneeling over her, asserting her total hypnotic control… hadn’t she?</p><p>…or what if it had been a dream?</p><p>Suddenly… in horror… Robin realized that she wasn’t sure.</p><p>“This is my fault,” Melanie said quietly.  “Earlier today, when you were wavering on doing the photography, I could tell that you secretly wanted to do it.  But you needed a nudge.  I thought if you could talk to your subconscious…”</p><p>She shrugged.  “So I did a bit of mild conversational hypnosis on you.  It was-“</p><p>“<strong><em>Mild?</em></strong>” interrupted Robin.  “Bitch, you zonked me out!”</p><p>“What do you remember?” Melanie asked, a funny look on her face.  “Wait, don’t answer that.  Look at me.”</p><p>Moving quickly, Melanie zipped to Robin’s side, keeping locked eye contact with her the entire time.  “When I snap my fingers,” she said firmly, “you will remember your hypnosis <strong><em>exactly</em></strong> as it happened this afternoon.”  She clicked her fingers, once, just before Robin’s eyes.</p><p>Memories flooded into the young woman’s thoughts.  They collided together, then sorted themselves into a proper timeline.  Robin stared as she thought back…</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p><em>It was earlier in the day.</em>  <em>She and Melanie were standing, facing one another in the apartment’s sitting area, alone.  Robin was in her sports bra and yoga leggings; Melanie was completely naked.  Stefan had stepped outside.</em></p><p>
  <em>“What kind of chant is this again?” Robin frowned.</em>
</p><p><em>“Stand straight,” Melanie instructed, gently touching Robin’s shoulders.  “Arms at your sides, feet grounded.  Loose knees.  This is a </em>nankra<em> chant meditation, we do these in Transmed all the time.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“’Kay,” Robin allowed, adopting the pose.  Melanie stood directly before her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No more speaking,” cautioned the blonde.  “Only thinking inwardly.  Focus on your breathing.  Close your eyes down.  Go on, I’ll always be here.  Close them down.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robin obeyed, feeling a little silly.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Good,” Melanie’s sweet voice said.  “Now, breathe in through the nose, out through the lungs.  Exactly like you were teaching a Vinyasa flow class.  Good.  Breathe in for five seconds, hold for two, exhale slowly for seven seconds.  Begin doing that automatically.”</em>
</p><p>Got it<em>, Robin thought, willing her body to respond.</em></p><p>
  <em>“I’ll count to three, Rob,” Melanie said pleasantly, “and you’ll allow your body to sink into a deep, pleasant relaxation.  In that relaxation, you’ll listen carefully to your subconsciousness.  And by listening, you’ll discover if you want to do nude yoga before the camera.  You’ll discover if you want to do nude yoga before the camera.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The blonde woman sighed happily.  “And Rob?  If you want to, its totally cool.  And if not, that’s totally cool too.  The only thing that matters is that your subconscious tells you what you want.  Let it happen.  Ready?  One…  Two…  Three.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Suddenly, out of the blue, Robin’s heart knew what she wanted.</em>
</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>“But…” Robin said helplessly, “that’s not what I remember happening…!  You put me into a trance, told me I couldn’t resist your commands, and then…”</p><p>“And then compelled you do nude yoga before the camera?” Melanie finished.</p><p>Robin nodded.</p><p>“Rob, I would <strong><em>never</em></strong> do that to another human being,” asserted Melanie gently.  “Never.  I’m just not that kind of person.”</p><p>This was true.  Melanie had always been the sweetest, most considerate person Robin had ever known.  All at once, Robin felt confused, aghast, and exposed, all at the same time.</p><p>“So why…?” she asked.</p><p>“Sometimes,” said Melanie, looking down at her hands, “when prodded, the subconscious can manifest our desires.  Things we wish to be true.  Or it creates a reality where we can get what we want.”  She smiled sadly.  “The Freudian term is <em>manifestation transference</em>.”</p><p>“You’re saying… I <strong><em>wanted</em></strong> you to turn me into your hypnotized sex slave?” Robin asked with dread.</p><p>“No,” replied Melanie.  “The subconscious is a weird thing.  It communicates with us in roundabout ways.”  She looked uncomfortable.  “Look, I want to try something.  Its not hypnosis, but it will feel like hypnosis.  Okay?”</p><p>“…kay,” Robin said warily.</p><p>“<strong><em>What do you want?</em></strong>” Melanie said loudly, at the same time snapping her fingers before Robin’s surprised face.</p><p>Robin drew back.  “The fuck…?”</p><p>“Shut up,” Melanie urged.  “What went through your mind, <strong><em>just now</em></strong>?  In that instant when I snapped my fingers, and your thoughts went blank?”</p><p>“I…” said Robin, searching her feelings.</p><p>Sensations flashed through her jumbled thoughts.  She remembered the feel of Melanie’s naked body against her as the two friends had practiced yoga… and then made love.  How Melanie came alive in the bed, and how delightful it was in the moment when Robin had coaxed her into orgasm.</p><p>Suddenly, Robin knew:</p><p>“I want to be with you, Mel!” she said wretchedly.</p><p>The words were open and true and completely honest.</p><p>Sex with Melanie had been so wonderful.  So wonderful.  Robin longed to share her body again.  Before she realized what she was doing, she reached for her blonde companion.</p><p>But Melanie drew back.</p><p>“I want to be with you,” Robin repeated, feeling a smile bloom across her face.  “And I know you loved it when I touched you.  That’s why you let me, isn’t it?”</p><p>“Rob…” Melanie said.</p><p>Suddenly desperate feelings were gushing from Robin’s soul.  “C’mon, bitch,” she implored.  “You know we could be great together.”</p><p>“I’m not into women, Rob,” Melanie replied plainly.</p><p>Robin felt her smile begin to wilt.  “Wait… no, that can’t be.  In bed, you were-“</p><p>“Dylan and I have an open thing,” admitted Melanie.  She added lamely, “…and you caught me off-guard.”</p><p>“Then why did you let me…?”</p><p>Melanie looked embarrassed.  “Well, I’ve never been with a woman before.  And when you came on so strong, I thought…”  A look of regret flickered over her face.  “…<em>Always try new things</em>.”</p><p>The blonde woman gestured helplessly.  “But I just <strong><em>didn’t feel anything</em></strong>, Rob.  Not when you kissed me.  Not when you were caressing me.  Well, the Big O…”  She blushed.  “<strong><em>That</em></strong> was real, and it was amazing.”</p><p>“You see?” Robin pleaded.</p><p>Melanie shook her head.  “I can’t,” she murmured.  “I’m not compatible with you, Rob.  I’m truly sorry.”</p><p>Inside, Robin felt her heart breaking.  All her hopes seemed dashed upon the floor.  Perhaps it was a residual of the hypnotism, but she found herself blurting out: “<strong><em>But I’m in love with you!</em></strong>”</p><p>Melanie offered a small, sad smile.</p><p>A horrible silence filled the room.</p><p><em>This is just fucking great,</em> Robin thought, fighting the tears.  <em>My life falls to utter shit, and now the one person who I wanted to be with doesn’t want me.</em></p><p>Angry and humiliated, she hopped off the bed.  She was still naked; her clothes were on the floor downstairs.</p><p>“Rob, please wait,” Melanie said softly.</p><p>It was too much.  “Fuck you!” Robin wailed, then burst into tears.</p><p>Angry, hurt, and humiliated, she fled the bedroom.  Melanie didn’t follow.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>Robin had pulled on her clothes in record time.  Now, clutching her suitcases, she stood on the curb a block away from Melanie’s apartment.  The tears were will rolling down her face.  She dug her cellular out of her purse, then fumbled with the dialpad.</p><p>The phone rang.  After a moment, a stern woman’s voice answered, “<em>Palentri residence.</em>”</p><p>“Mom?” Robin choked.  “Are you there?”</p><p>“<em>Oh,</em> <em>Robin, what have you gone and done now?</em>” her mother sighed.</p><p>The young woman ignored the disapproval in her mother’s tone.  Sobbing, she begged, “Mom… I want to come home.”</p><p>*** *** ***</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <em>Indianapolis, Winter 2019</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Eleven Years Later…</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>The front door shut with a soft click.  Robin listened carefully; the little townhouse was dark and quiet.  But she could hear Caroline’s soft voice up the stairs.  That meant Li Wei wasn’t asleep yet.  Robin set her keys in the bowl by the door, then slowly crept up the staircase.</p><p>As she climbed, Robin’s left knee spasmed slightly.  She winced.  Her thirty-fifth birthday had only been last week.  <em>Jesus, how can I be so old already?</em> she thought in annoyance.</p><p>Sure enough, Caroline was in Li Wei’s room, quietly reading <span class="u">Goodnight Moon</span>.  The toddler stared at the picture book, obviously losing his fight against sleep.</p><p>“Hey!” Caroline whispered when Robin poked her head into the room.  She beamed from ear to ear.  “How was work?”</p><p>“So-so,” Robin allowed.  “Two new cases today.”</p><p>Caroline nodded, then gestured to Li Wei.  “Sleepyhead here is about to nod off.  You want to put him down?”</p><p>“Sure,” replied Robin.  Secretly, she was delighted to spend a little time with her son.</p><p><strong><em>Her son.</em></strong>  Robin still couldn’t believe it.  Not long after she and Caroline had wed, they’d plunged feet first into the bureaucracy of overseas adoption.  It had still taken three years of frustration and anxiety before they had brought baby Li Wei home.</p><p>Caroline rose from the rocking chair, carefully handing over both book and child.  Robin stole a quick kiss on the lips before she settled in.  Li Wei grunted, leaning against her.</p><p>*** *** ***</p><p>In another five minutes, the toddler was dozing, but it wasn’t safe to put him in the crib yet.  Robin held the boy, gently rocking and enjoying the moment.</p><p>As she waited, she dug out her phone, thinking once again about her knee.  Several years back, Robin had taken up spin classes, and maybe that was a mistake.  She’d heard that spinning could destroy knees.</p><p>Downstairs in the kitchen, Robin could hear Caroline moving pots and pans around.  Her wife was singing, which meant she was getting ready to cook a big meal.  Robin’s stomach growled in appreciation.</p><p>A few Google searches suggested that it might be wise to stop spin classes for a few months.  And – wouldn’t you know it – yoga was the suggested replacement.</p><p>Robin smiled.  She hadn’t done yoga in, well, almost <strong><em>ten years</em></strong>.  Not since she went back to graduate school.  That seemed like a lifetime ago.</p><p>So now, she asked Google, “Yoga for former yogis” and scrolled through the results.</p><p>In her other arm, Li Wei sighed and leaned against his mother a little harder.  Soon, he’d be out cold.</p><p>Robin’s heart leapt when she spotted the seventh hit in her Google results:  <em>Two Nude Girls Just Doing Yoga.</em></p><p><em>No way,</em> she thought in amazement.  She tapped the link.</p><p>A series of black-and-white pictures appeared, all showing two naked women, doing extreme yoga poses.  One of the woman was African-American, a bronzed goddess with beautiful muscle tone and a proud expression.  The former instructor in Robin could see that this woman’s form was impressive.</p><p>But the other lady in the photos was undoubtably Melanie.  Robin stared, then felt herself smile.</p><p><strong><em>Wow.</em></strong>  It had been eleven years since Robin had stormed out of Melanie’s apartment, and the two women had not spoken or seen each other since.  Robin, horrified at what had happened that night, simply cut Melanie off, ignored her calls and texts, did everything she could to deny that Melanie existed.</p><p>Their little experiment with hypnotism had exposed a fundamental truth about Robin; that despite her conservative upbringing, she was gay.  It had taken a lot of work and therapy for Robin to accept this.  And the years following that encounter in Columbus had been dark and hard for Robin.</p><p>But at the end of her soul-searching, was Caroline, and then Li Wei.  Robin’s life had been healed through their love.</p><p>And now, gazing across the safety of eleven years, Robin could look at Melanie and only remember all the things she admired about her former friend.</p><p>Melanie looked great.  Her body was thinner than before, and she had done a lot of tanning.  The blonde hair was very short now, almost a military crop.  But Robin could see Melanie’s hazel eyes still sparkled.  She smiled as she inspected the picts of her old friend.</p><p>On impulse, Robin flipped over to Facebook and cycled through her friends.  While she’d ignored Melanie all those years, she’d never unfriended her, either.  And Melanie had kept the connection, too.  That had to mean something.</p><p>Melanie’s Facebook profile was impressive.  There were photos of her time as a skydiving instructor, a master pottery artist, riding horses, windsailing, cavediving, cooking exotic mushrooms, hiking in Australia, partying at Burning Man, leading a poetry circle, and much more.  A decade of crazy endeavors was neatly photo-cataloged here.</p><p>Li Wei’s breathing deepened, and he began drooling on Robin’s arm.  Finally, the little guy was down for the night.  Robin gingerly lifted him, then set him into his crib.  She kissed the boy on his head, then retreated from the room.</p><p>Caroline was still singing downstairs.  Robin had a little time before dinner.</p><p>She found herself staring at Melanie’s Facebook once more.  Then, on impulse, she clicked “Message”</p><p>The message screen popped up.</p><p>Robin hesitated.  Would Melanie even want to hear from her?  After all, it had been Robin who cut ties.</p><p><em>Ah…  What the hell</em>, Robin thought.  Tapping quickly, she wrote:</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Hey Mel, how</em>
  </strong>
</p><p><em>No</em>, she thought with a grin.  There was only one way to open this conversation.  She deleted everything, then wrote:</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Hey bitch what up?</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>Without hesitation, she hit SEND.</p><p>Now… to help Caroline by chopping vegetables?  Or maybe do a little office work?  Her charges would need her to-</p><p>The phone softly dinged.  Robin looked down.</p><p>Melanie had written back:</p><p>
  <em>HEY YOU!!!  O man it is so awesome to see your txt I am in Hong Kong and they have the best best best best breakfast dumplings here I totally thought of you when I tried one.  Whats up girl???</em>
</p><p>And Robin laughed out loud.</p><p>*** *** ***</p>
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